Town Scenes, Rochdale, Town Hall

A party on an adult education course at Alston Hall near Longridge, led by the tutor, David Brazendale, visited Rochdale Town Hall. It is a magnificent edifice in the Gothic style and speaks of the wealth of the cotton industry that made it possible. The Town Hall was built in the Gothic Revival style at a cost of £160,000 which Wikipedia would have us believe translates in 2021 to £15 million. It would cost most of that in 2021 for the inital feasability report, design and planning stage together with the site clearance. It opened on 27 September 1871, a year after the Franco-Prussian War. The architect was William Henry Crossland and initially the edifice had a 240-foot clock tower with a wooden spire holding a gilded statue of Saint George and the Dragon. This was destroyed by fire on 10 April 1883. A new 190-foot stone tower clock tower, similar to that on Manchester Town Hall, was designed by the latter's architect, Alfred Waterhouse and built in 1887. It is one of the finest civic buildings in England and was reputedly earmarked by the Germans as their North West HQ following a successful invasion.


Exterior		Clock Tower

Entrance		Cenotaph opposite the Town Hall

Ceiling in the Small Exchange with unfinished decoration

One of the huge armorials on the floor of the Entrance Hall

Fan vaulting in the Entrance Hall

One of several windows showing the arms of European countries before the Great War.

Part of the freize in the Reception Room showing Thomas Henry, a chemist, working on dyes.

Ceiling panels showing cotton, wool, agriculture and industry

One of several panels showing emblems of local towns and cities


Window on the Grand Staircase		Vaulting above the Grand Staircase

Arriving at the top of the Grand Staircase		Cromwell flanked by Charles I and Charles II

Detail of Wall Decoration in the Great Hall		Gothic window in the Great Hall

A spiral staircase descending from the Great Hall		Ceiling with peacocks in the Mayor's Parlour