ROCHDALE TOWN HALL TOWER
Posted: 23 Apr 2012, 07:35
ROCHDALE TOWN HALL TOWER
In November, 1870, a large figure of St. George and the Dragon, carved by Messrs. Earp of London, was formally placed in its position by the Mayor, Mr. G. L. Ashworth. According to the Rochdale Observer for November 26th, 1870, the figure was 12 feet high and including the lead covering weighed about 30 cwts. It was carved out of solid wood and secured in its seemingly perilous position by a 16' bolt, 3 ½” in diameter, which passed right through the figure coming out at the breast, where it was tightened by a nut. The base of the bolt was attached to four massive straps which extended some 16 feet down the centre post. The ends terminated in bolts which passed through a heavy cast iron collar and were tightened by nuts. As an additional security there were four extra bolts which connected this collar to the base on which the figure stood, the whole binding the figure down to the spire so effectively as to make it almost impossible for the highest wind to move it. Soon after one o'clock on the day of the ceremony the signal "all ready" was given by the firing of a gun at the top of the tower and the Mayor, by pulling a string connected with a brake caused the figure to descend into its place. The men who were assisting to fix it, headed by their manager, Mr. Collinson, then climbed to the highest possible position on the scaffolding and gave hearty cheers which must have been heard at a considerable distance. It is credit to the contractors and to the men immediately concerned with the erection of the spire that this crowning piece was put on without a single accident from first to last. This figure was afterwards destroyed in the disastrous fire of 1883.
Satisfactory progress was maintained throughout the construction period but not without accident. On the 2nd October, 1868, just when the last of the formidable roof principals of the great hall was being hoisted into position, the rope broke and the ponderous mass of timber and ironwork which the principal contained fell through the floor. Unimpeded by the obstacles it encountered, it found its way into the very basement, displacing several granite pillars and clearing a passage through each flooring. Fortunately, not a single person was injured, every workman being out of the way. Not many minutes before two men were working about a ladder which was smashed to pieces, and had the men been near at the time of the accident they would have shared a similar fate.
THE NEW TOWER
THE most imposing and arresting feature of the exterior is undoubtedly the Tower which rises to a height of 190 feet above the Esplanade. The Tower and spire as originally designed by W. H. Crossland was, unfortunately, destroyed by fire on the night of April 10th, 1883. According to reports it was one of the most thrilling incidents in the history of the town.
Early in 1882 it was found that dry rot was spreading in the spire, which was constructed mainly of wood. Mr. Platt, the Borough Surveyor, and other experts whose advice was sought recommended that the spire be demolished down to the level of the stone battlements and then re-erected. The Council agreed to the demolition but deferred its decision as to the new structure. At the beginning of 1883 arrangements were made with Messrs. W. A. Peters & Sons to remove the spire and work had started when, on April 10th, the fire did the job for them.
That night the Choral Society was singing the "Elijah" at the Public Hall (not the Town Hall). At about half-past nine the audience could see through the windows that a great fire was raging not far away. People went into the streets and found that the lofty spire of the Town Hall was enveloped in flames. An enormous crowd quickly collected in the centre of the town and watched with bated breath the most awe-inspiring spectacle they had ever seen. This not only applied in the centre of the town but as far away as Blackstone Edge and Affetside, near Bury (per Mr. Buckley, of Bacup Field Nat. Socy., who saw it). St. George, a splendid gilded wooden figure weighing thirty hundredweights, stood erect at the top of the spire until about twenty minutes to eleven, every feature thrown into lurid relief by the flames leaping all around him. Then the support gave way, and, turning right round so that it faced the Parish Church, the figure crashed to the ground two hundred and forty feet below. For an hour or more the dread of this had kept the people back from a wide space about the Tower and no one was injured. Next morning the shattered remains of St. George were lying on the footpath, and in many Rochdale houses to-day are little articles made of wood chipped off the figure. Mrs. J. Mortimer, a former resident in Rochdale who emigrated to Philadelphia, presented to the Rochdale Museum a handbell made of the metal of the bells of the Old Tower and the wood from the figure of St. George. Another souvenir which found its way to the Museum is a front plate presented by Mr. Henry Brierley some years ago.
The cause of the fire, though never satisfactorily established, is believed to have been an escape of gas. There were, of course, rumours that it was set on fire deliberately by workmen who considered the timber of the spire was not well seasoned and it was peeling very badly and therefore they were afraid of it collapsing.
The sum received from the Insurance Societies amounted to £16,500, including £1,400 on account of damage to the Free Library, which was then housed in the large upper room at the eastern end of the building. The tower was so badly damaged that it was razed to within thirty feet of the ground. Mr. A. Waterhouse, R.A., the Architect of Manchester Town Hall, recommended that as the foundations of the original tower were not good enough it should be wholly rebuilt further east to be quite clear of the old site. This was done. and thus was formed the archway between the tower and the main building which is now the porte cochere to the Mayor's apartment. The contract for the new tower, which was built to Mr. Waterhouse's design, was let to Messrs. W. A. Peters & Sons, and the work was completed in time for the top stone to be fixed on Queen Victoria's Jubilee Day, June 20th, 1887. At the same time, the Mayor, Mr. J. R. Heape, affixed to the wall of the tower a tablet recording the occasion of the rebuilding. This tablet was originally fixed between the pair of buttresses at the north-east corner of the tower, it has subsequently been moved and is now fixed to the wall of the tower opposite the Mayor's private entrance. Amongst other things it records that the first stone of the new tower was laid by Alderman Thos. Schofield, LP., chairman of the General Purposes Committee on 19th October, 1885.
[From ‘ROCHDALE TOWN HALL’ by James L Maxim. Published in Rochdale 1959]
In November, 1870, a large figure of St. George and the Dragon, carved by Messrs. Earp of London, was formally placed in its position by the Mayor, Mr. G. L. Ashworth. According to the Rochdale Observer for November 26th, 1870, the figure was 12 feet high and including the lead covering weighed about 30 cwts. It was carved out of solid wood and secured in its seemingly perilous position by a 16' bolt, 3 ½” in diameter, which passed right through the figure coming out at the breast, where it was tightened by a nut. The base of the bolt was attached to four massive straps which extended some 16 feet down the centre post. The ends terminated in bolts which passed through a heavy cast iron collar and were tightened by nuts. As an additional security there were four extra bolts which connected this collar to the base on which the figure stood, the whole binding the figure down to the spire so effectively as to make it almost impossible for the highest wind to move it. Soon after one o'clock on the day of the ceremony the signal "all ready" was given by the firing of a gun at the top of the tower and the Mayor, by pulling a string connected with a brake caused the figure to descend into its place. The men who were assisting to fix it, headed by their manager, Mr. Collinson, then climbed to the highest possible position on the scaffolding and gave hearty cheers which must have been heard at a considerable distance. It is credit to the contractors and to the men immediately concerned with the erection of the spire that this crowning piece was put on without a single accident from first to last. This figure was afterwards destroyed in the disastrous fire of 1883.
Satisfactory progress was maintained throughout the construction period but not without accident. On the 2nd October, 1868, just when the last of the formidable roof principals of the great hall was being hoisted into position, the rope broke and the ponderous mass of timber and ironwork which the principal contained fell through the floor. Unimpeded by the obstacles it encountered, it found its way into the very basement, displacing several granite pillars and clearing a passage through each flooring. Fortunately, not a single person was injured, every workman being out of the way. Not many minutes before two men were working about a ladder which was smashed to pieces, and had the men been near at the time of the accident they would have shared a similar fate.
THE NEW TOWER
THE most imposing and arresting feature of the exterior is undoubtedly the Tower which rises to a height of 190 feet above the Esplanade. The Tower and spire as originally designed by W. H. Crossland was, unfortunately, destroyed by fire on the night of April 10th, 1883. According to reports it was one of the most thrilling incidents in the history of the town.
Early in 1882 it was found that dry rot was spreading in the spire, which was constructed mainly of wood. Mr. Platt, the Borough Surveyor, and other experts whose advice was sought recommended that the spire be demolished down to the level of the stone battlements and then re-erected. The Council agreed to the demolition but deferred its decision as to the new structure. At the beginning of 1883 arrangements were made with Messrs. W. A. Peters & Sons to remove the spire and work had started when, on April 10th, the fire did the job for them.
That night the Choral Society was singing the "Elijah" at the Public Hall (not the Town Hall). At about half-past nine the audience could see through the windows that a great fire was raging not far away. People went into the streets and found that the lofty spire of the Town Hall was enveloped in flames. An enormous crowd quickly collected in the centre of the town and watched with bated breath the most awe-inspiring spectacle they had ever seen. This not only applied in the centre of the town but as far away as Blackstone Edge and Affetside, near Bury (per Mr. Buckley, of Bacup Field Nat. Socy., who saw it). St. George, a splendid gilded wooden figure weighing thirty hundredweights, stood erect at the top of the spire until about twenty minutes to eleven, every feature thrown into lurid relief by the flames leaping all around him. Then the support gave way, and, turning right round so that it faced the Parish Church, the figure crashed to the ground two hundred and forty feet below. For an hour or more the dread of this had kept the people back from a wide space about the Tower and no one was injured. Next morning the shattered remains of St. George were lying on the footpath, and in many Rochdale houses to-day are little articles made of wood chipped off the figure. Mrs. J. Mortimer, a former resident in Rochdale who emigrated to Philadelphia, presented to the Rochdale Museum a handbell made of the metal of the bells of the Old Tower and the wood from the figure of St. George. Another souvenir which found its way to the Museum is a front plate presented by Mr. Henry Brierley some years ago.
The cause of the fire, though never satisfactorily established, is believed to have been an escape of gas. There were, of course, rumours that it was set on fire deliberately by workmen who considered the timber of the spire was not well seasoned and it was peeling very badly and therefore they were afraid of it collapsing.
The sum received from the Insurance Societies amounted to £16,500, including £1,400 on account of damage to the Free Library, which was then housed in the large upper room at the eastern end of the building. The tower was so badly damaged that it was razed to within thirty feet of the ground. Mr. A. Waterhouse, R.A., the Architect of Manchester Town Hall, recommended that as the foundations of the original tower were not good enough it should be wholly rebuilt further east to be quite clear of the old site. This was done. and thus was formed the archway between the tower and the main building which is now the porte cochere to the Mayor's apartment. The contract for the new tower, which was built to Mr. Waterhouse's design, was let to Messrs. W. A. Peters & Sons, and the work was completed in time for the top stone to be fixed on Queen Victoria's Jubilee Day, June 20th, 1887. At the same time, the Mayor, Mr. J. R. Heape, affixed to the wall of the tower a tablet recording the occasion of the rebuilding. This tablet was originally fixed between the pair of buttresses at the north-east corner of the tower, it has subsequently been moved and is now fixed to the wall of the tower opposite the Mayor's private entrance. Amongst other things it records that the first stone of the new tower was laid by Alderman Thos. Schofield, LP., chairman of the General Purposes Committee on 19th October, 1885.
[From ‘ROCHDALE TOWN HALL’ by James L Maxim. Published in Rochdale 1959]