Description

WIGAN

SD5805NW HEWLETT STREET
24-1/7/16 (North West side)
11/07/83 Municipal Buildings

GV II

Commercial offices, now municipal offices. 1900, by Bradshaw
and Gass of Bolton, for the Royal London Friendly Society;
extended 1939. Red brick in English garden wall bond (ground
floor only), otherwise completely faced with red terracotta;
green slate roofs. Long range to Hewlett Street, with convex
corner and short return to Library Street. Flemish Renaissance
style.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 7 bays to Hewlett Street and 3 bays to
Library Street; with a very emphatic convex frieze and
enriched dentilled cornice over the ground floor carried on
very large enriched terracotta consoles, a deep band of
flamboyantly foliated terracotta panels with stone coping
between the 1st and 2nd floors, and balustraded parapets; the
2nd, 5th and 7th bays (and the 1st to Library Street) featured
with tall idiosyncratic Dutch gables and the 6th bay (clasped
between the 5th and 7th) with a wide segmental entrance
archway and an elaborate storeyed bow above finishing in a
squat dome of highly-glazed brown terracotta; and the convex
corner even more elaborately treated, including a canted
arcaded balcony to the 2nd floor and a richly decorated turret
(now lacking its original dome).
Very rich terracotta ornament includes: storeyed canted oriels
to the gabled bays (except the 7th) with fluted pilasters to
both upper floors and herms or mermen at the angles at 2nd
floor; mullioned and transomed windows with dentilled
transoms, those at 1st floor arched in each light (giving a
wave-like effect); and many Art Nouveau motifs. Tall panelled
and corniced chimneys.
INTERIOR not inspected.
Forms group with Town Hall (Library Street, qv) on opposite
side of Hewlett Street, the 2 being the most impressive
buildings in Wigan town centre.

Listing NGR: SD5832605601

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26664308

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.

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