Description

WIGAN

SD5805NW LIBRARY STREET
24-1/7/29 (North East side)
11/07/83 No.16
Prudential Assurance Building

GV II

Insurance company office. Dated 1905 over 2nd floor; by
Heaton, Ralph and Heaton. Red brick with matching terracotta
dressings, roof concealed but probably slate. Rectangular plan
at right-angles to street. Flemish Transitional style.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and 4 windows; facing of square terracotta
tiles to ground floor which has moulded cornice with trefoil
arcading interrupted by corbels of 1st-floor oriel windows;
moulded cornices to both upper floors, that to 2nd floor with
egg-and-dart enrichment; coupled Dutch gables to centre bays
and balustraded parapets to outer bays. The ground floor has
the entrance to the left, by a semi-elliptical headed archway
with moulded surround including flowers, and an Art Nouveau
name plaque above ("PRUDENTIAL / ASSURANCE / BUILDINGS" on
shield with foliated surround), opening into a recessed porch
which has a mosaic tiled floor lettered "PRUDENTIAL ASSURANCE
COMPANY" and a canted doorway to the right with moulded
terracotta architrave (originally dark green glazed
terracotta, but now painted stone colour) including a bold
cornice with a cartouche lettered "P.A.Co.Ltd", and
egg-and-dart frieze, and a keyed oculus above; and to the
right, an arcade of 4 tall semi-elliptical arched windows with
terracotta cusping and linked hood-moulds with finials
extended up to hatched shields under the cornice. The 1st
floor has canted oriels with parapets lettered "A.1905.D"; and
the 2nd floor has shorter windows with unusual zig-zag
moulding to the heads. Tall corniced side-wall chimneys.
INTERIOR not inspected.

Listing NGR: SD5829005612

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26664320

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy