Description

SJ8498
698-1/17/449
20/01/92

MANCHESTER

GOULDEN STREET, Ancoats
(North East side)
Former Police and Ambulance Station

II

Former police and fire station. Mid to later C19, altered and
part reduced. Red brick with some sandstone ashlar, hipped
slate roofs. Rectangular plan on island site incorporating
office and domestic block on west side, cell range to south of
this, with tall chimney stack, and fire engine garage on east
side, all within a curtain wall. One, 2 and 4 storeys, with
basements. Curtain wall with sandstone ashlar plinth,
rusticated quoins to the angles, plain cornice and parapet
carried round. The principal feature of the entrance front on
the west side is the gable end of the 4-storey main block,
which has a 3-bay facade of ashlar, in classical style, the
ground floor pilastered and panelled, with a cornice, a giant
arcade of round-headed blank arches to the upper floors, with
plain pilasters, moulded imposts and moulded heads with volute
keystones, frieze with raised lettering "POLICE STATION B
DIVISION", a prominent modillioned cornice, and a balustraded
parapet with carved shield of Arms in the centre (with lion
and unicorn supporters) under a segmental pediment. To the
left is a short rebuilt section of the curtain wall containing
a square-headed wagon doorway with square cast-iron pillars,
and left of this the ground floor facade of a formerly similar
tall block on this corner. To the right of the main block the
curtain wall is blind, and rising above it is a tall
rectangular chimney with panelled sides and stone cornice with
brackets. The right-hand return wall, which includes the south
end of a 2-storey block (containing 1st-floor drill hall) has
2 small and 2 large doorways (all apparently inserted
doorways). The east side is almost filled by a colonnade of 13
garage doorways with square panelled cast-iron columns and
wooden lintels. Interior: many original features including
offices with domestic quarters above, prison cells with plain
wooden bunks, etc. Representative of growth of administrative
institutions of large city; strikingly defensive design,
making an interesting comparison with the later Police and
Fire Station in London Road (q.v.).

Listing NGR: SJ8471098885

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26580105

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record