Description

BOLTON

SD7109SE KNOWSLEY STREET
797-1/17/136 (West side)
26/04/74 Victoria Hall and Victoria
Buildings Nos.33-45 (odd)

GV II

Methodist Mission church and shops. 1898-1900. By Bradshaw and
Gass. Red brick and terracotta with stone dressings and slate
roofs.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys, 2 and 4-window ranges each side of tower
over main entrance to Victoria Hall, the flanking bays
containing shops. New shop fronts throughout, and renewed
canopy over Victoria Hall entrance, though the paired doors
with bevelled glass panels are original.
Tower has paired first-floor windows with banded shafts;
tripartite oriel window over, and pediment carried on volutes
above space for clock (now a blind panel). Flanking pilasters
of tower are enriched with low relief scroll-work etc. in the
upper stage. Triglyph frieze below balustraded parapet with
domed, columned pilasters. Octagonal turret-like upper stage
with wrought-iron screens to openings, and volutes over
angles, surmounted by domed roof.
2-window outer ranges each side have windows set in raised
panels; stilted arched heads, with stone incised architraves
to first floor, and wrought-iron balconettes to second.
Modillion eaves cornice. right-hand range then has additional
bay with paired windows to each floor, and then has wide
pedimented gable adjoining entrance tower, with tripartite
windows on upper floors in stone architraves with wrought-iron
balconettes to second floor. right-hand section is built over
the River Croal, and is carried on a 2-arched bridge of
rusticated stone.
Main body of Victoria Hall projects as wing from rear of
street range: Entrance hall with tall transomed windows to
stairs, then main hall a 3 storey, 3-window range with
tripartite windows to first floor, and segmentally arched
4-light mullioned and transomed windows to upper storey.
Transomed windows with round arched lights to basement storey.
5-storey service range at west.
INTERIOR: entrance passage leads to large entrance hall to
rear of shop premises; staircases leading to gallery each
side, with tall transomed windows with round arched lights.
Hall enriched with wood dado and plaster panelling to walls.
Main hall or church opens off this entrance hall: floor slopes
down to platform and communion area to west; horse-shoe

gallery round 3 sides, carried on plaster encased columns with
enriched Ionic capitals and volutes.
Arcading to each side of gallery, and windows with yellow and
white stained glass (dated 1900 in west window).
Enriched plasterwork, coved and panelled over platform, and
with high relief frieze supported by heavy volutes each side.
Curved ceiling overall, divided into deep plaster panels.
Parapets to gallery also enriched with high relief panels.
Seating and platform area renewed.
(BOE: Pevsner N: South Lancashire: Harmondsworth: 1969-).

Listing NGR: SD7157109449

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26667653

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

• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990