Description

698-1/0/11224 78 FRANCES STREET
31-MAR-10 CHORLTON-ON-MEDLOCK
THE MAWSON HOTEL

II
Public house, originally a small mid-late C19 hotel amalgamated in 1936-7 with two neighbouring terraced houses and rebuilt to designs of Fred Riley of Brameld & Smith, brick with faience dressings (some painted), shallow slate roof, tall stacks, 2-storeys plus basement.

PLAN: Reverse L-shaped plan occupying corner location fronting both Cabot and Frances Streets. Main front elevation to south-west side. Entrance vestibule with lounge off to right, vestibule leads into wide drinking lobby with smoke room ('The Library') off to front left, 'Vault' and former tenant's room off to rear right, passageway to rear of lobby accesses toilets and basement, stair to first floor accommodation set to rear right corner.

EXTERIOR: 1936/7 five-light wooden casement windows (two large lights to bottom, three smaller lights to top) to whole of first floor. Similarly styled, slightly larger replaced uPVC windows with leading to whole of ground floor, black painted sills, white painted lintels to first floor. Two principal elevations to south-east and south-west sides in Accrington brick set upon tall faience plinth (painted purple/grey) that reaches up to ground-floor windows. Deep moulded faience cornice (painted black) with red signage fascia bordered in black below incorporating the name 'MAWSON' in large gold relief lettering, wraps around both principal elevations and north-west return between ground and first floors, forms lintel band for ground-floor windows. Faience and Accrington brick parapet to both principal elevations.
Front (south-west) elevation facing Cabot Street: 4-bays. Main entrance to bay 3 of ground floor with faience surround (painted black) incorporating console supported entablature above with scrolled decoration (painted gold), replaced door, overlight with leaded glazing, flanked by wall-mounted lanterns depicting Mr Mawson's portrait. Two 5-light windows to left of entrance, wider 6-light window to right. First-floor windows correspond with entrance and windows below.
South-east elevation facing Frances Street: 7 bays. 6-light windows to bays 1 & 6 of ground floor, doorways with overlights to bays 2 (off-sales entrance with boarded over door) & 7 (entrance to first-floor accommodation with panelled door with leaded glazing to overlight), slender 3-light window to bay 3, 5-light windows to bays 4 & 5. Six 5-light windows to first floor. Splayed south corner with 3-light window to ground floor, 5-light window to first floor.
North-west elevation: Plain brick, windows in similar style as those to two principal elevations. Small single-storey lean-to attached to centre of elevation (containing ladies toilets), doorway to right. Narrow yard area in front enclosed by high brick wall with plank and batten door (painted black) to south-west end. Return of front south-west range projects forward for two bays to far right of elevation to form reverse L-shape with two windows to ground floor and single window to first floor on north-east side.
Rear north-east elevation: Blank gable end in plain brick, appears to be mid-late C20 rebuild following demolition of attached terraced housing.

INTERIOR: 1936/7 interior layout and features to whole of ground floor. Polished veneer woodwork (possibly oak) throughout, including plain and panelled doors, carved door and window surrounds, and covered radiator/heater boxes. Panelled dados of varying height, some incorporating fixed bench seating. Floorboard floors, now concealed under carpets. Numbers above doors to main rooms, including basement. Ceiling coving to all rooms.
Small main entrance vestibule with tall panelled dado, green and cream terrazzo tiled floor. Partly glazed panelled inner double doors with 4-light leaded overlight above (two central lights form hopper window) lead into drinking lobby and main body of pub. Similarly styled partly glazed panelled door (without overlight) to right side of vestibule with number '3' to top of door surround leads into lounge. Small name plate on door reads 'LOUNGE'.
Heptagonal shaped lounge/'Brass Room' (originally called the 'public bar') with fixed bench seating, panelled dado that continues across top of seating as narrow band, corner fireplace (painted black and gold) with gold tiled cheeks and section of black tiling above and behind, partly glazed baffle (glazing possibly replaced) next to door, bar counter with panelled front, integral service door and shuttered upper section with leaded sliding sashes set within a carved wooden surround.
Long and wide octagonal drinking lobby (originally called the 'hall') with passageway and rooms radiating off, arched openings to each end with gilded fleur-de-lys style moulding around arches. Decorative moulded ceiling in green and gold, tall panelled dado, long bar counter set along right (south-east) side of lobby with panelled front and shuttered upper section in same style as that to lounge, fixed bench seating along north-west wall opposite bar counter with panelled dado continuing above. Bar back (possibly a later replacement) with off-sales area behind with 1930s white tiled dado with green patterned border, serving hatch between bar and off-sales area removed. Door to front left of drinking lobby with two upper panels containing leaded glazing leads into small room known as 'The Library' (originally called the 'smoke room'), number '2' on door surround above. The Library has a panelled dado, fixed bench seating (possibly re-upholstered) to each wall with band of wood panelling above, fireplace (painted black, gold and red) with red patterned tiled cheeks, wall-mounted bookshelves flanking chimneybreast, partly glazed baffle next to door. Small room known as the 'Vault' (originally called the 'bar parlour') off to rear right of drinking lobby with number '4' to top of door surround (door removed), panelled dado that continues above fixed bench seating, partly glazed baffle next to doorway, carved wooden fire surround with curved centrepiece, green tiled hearth and later brick infill. Doorway to front (south-west) wall with half-door (hatch service) leads into bar servery. Door to rear (north-east) wall leads into small private room to far right rear of building (originally a tenant's room, now a kitchen) with secondary access to basement and entrance vestibule and stair to first floor.
Narrow passageway to rear (north-east end) of drinking lobby with tall panelled dado, arched opening to left (north-west) side leads into small lobby with pale green tiled dado incorporating green border and geometric patterned band, panelled door out to yard with adjacent window, plain veneer door into ladies toilets with white tiled walls incorporating narrow decorative band in same style as that to off-sales area. Further arched opening to rear of passageway with door into gentlemen's toilets with terrazzo floor and white tiled walls, door to right (south-east) side with number '5' above leads to 1930s domestic 4-panel door accessing stone basement stair with wooden handrail. Basement has series of rooms with plank and batten doors. First floor not inspected.

HISTORY: The Mawson Hotel, Chorlton-on-Medlock is believed to have originally been constructed in the mid-late C19. Originally it only occupied a corner building at no.78 Frances Street where it fronted onto Clyde Street, which is now known as Cabot Street. The ground floor of the hotel contained a serving bar, newsroom, snug and a kitchen. Attached to the building were two terraced houses, nos. 74 & 76 Frances Street, and attached to no.74 Frances Street was further terraced housing (slightly larger in size). The community of the surrounding area was largely formed of Irish immigrants.

In 1936-7 The Mawson Hotel and nos.74 & 76 Frances Street were amalgamated and rebuilt to the designs of Fred Riley of Brameld & Smith, architects of Manchester, for Joshua Tetley & Son Ltd of Leeds as a single public house known as The Mawson Hotel, no.78 Frances Street. The exterior was remodelled, the interiors were re-configured and a new interior scheme was created. The terraced housing attached to the former no.74 (and also that on all the surrounding streets) was demolished in the mid-late C20.

SOURCES:
Brandwood G, Davison A & Slaughter M. 2004. Licensed to Sell: The History and Heritage of the Public House.
Plan of the proposed rebuilding of The Mawson Hotel. 1936-7. Available at Manchester City Council Building Control Department. Information provided by archivist 12/1/10.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Mawson Hotel is designated at grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Rarity: It is a rare survival of a medium-sized mid-late C19 urban public house rebuilt in 1936-7 that retains a virtually intact 1936-7 exterior and interior scheme
* Interior survival: The interior retains its 1936-7 plan layout, Custom & Excise numbering system, and incorporates unusual features, such as an elongated octagonal drinking lobby and a heptagonal lounge
* Interior quality: The fixtures and fittings are of a good quality throughout, including polished veneer woodwork, fixed bench seating, fireplaces, bar counters with shuttered upper sections incorporating leaded sliding sashes, and 1930s tiling

Reasons for Listing

Yes list

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26672880

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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