I was fortunate enough to have been permitted to photograph Chadderton Town Hall recently. This building has always fascinated me. It stands close to my property and looms large over the local area. I was surprised to learn that this magnificent building was not the original site of Chadderton Town Hall.
Original Building
The building we see today is in fact the second Chadderton Town Hall to be built. The original Chadderton Town Hall stood on the corner of Melbourne Street and Middleton Road as shown in the map below.
Built in 1868, this original building was an educational institute known as the Lyceum and was eventually used by the Local Board of Health from 1873 and converted into the local town hall.
1M. Lawson, Chadderton Chapters, (1972), p. 106.
The building saw its share of tragedy. On 22nd February 1884, a photographer named William Diggle was giving a demonstration to an audience in the Town Hall. The performance was arranged by the Oldham Industrial Cooperative Society and was attended by society member’s children. Some 400-500 children were reportedly in attendance.
Towards the end of the demonstration, whilst the children sang ‘Shall we gather at the river’, an explosion occurred and the windows of the hall shattered and the lights extinguished. At the inquest, it was revealed that Mr Diggle’s equipment had been tampered with, presumably by one of the curious children and this was the cause of the explosion. Panic ensued but most of the audience found their way to the exit. Unfortunately, dozens were injured and one boy, 6-year-old William Heywood of 20 George Street, Chadderton, was found dead at the top of the staircase. He was laid to rest in Chadderton Cemetry 5 days later.
Upon researching this incident, I discovered that the family suffered further tragedy. William’s mother, Sarah Ann Heywood soon followed her son to the afterlife some 3 months later on 16th May 1884.
Around 30 children were injured in the explosion with some suffering from seizures and convolutions following the incident. The 38-year-old mother was buried with her recently deceased son.
Reproduced with the kind permission of Tony Haughton of ‘My Dirty ‘Owd’ Oldham Town’
Following the new purpose-built Chadderton Town Hall, the original site became a printer and then a cafe. It was eventually diminished in the 1970s. It is now the site of a housing estate and lies close to Home Bargains and Farm Foods. Opposite is the Chadderton Precinct.
The Current Building
In 1894 The Local Government Act was passed. This piece of legislation replaced the local Board of Health with the Chadderton Urban District Council. These committee members made decisions for the Chadderton area which encompassed things such as libraries, baths, sewerage and public parks. It was decided a new purpose-built Town Hall would be built to house this local government body. The current Chadderton Town Hall was built in 1912-1913. The site was formerly known as Belton Place which comprised of 4 residential properties.
Architects Taylor and Smimister of Oldham were employed to draw up plans for the new Town Hall. They designed the building in the Edwardian Baroque style. It was a grand building made from orange brick and sandstone. A 4 sided clock sits atop a green dome and enhances the building’s intended status as a focal point for the local area.
Taylor and Simister had also designed The Grand Theatre Union Street and King Street Oldham, an extension of Oldham Town Hall and would later design the Cenotaph which now stands in front of Chadderton Town Hall.
The Foundation Stone was laid by Councillor Ernest Kempsey, a prominent Chaddertonian in 1912. It appears that not everyone was overly enthusiastic about the new building. Mr F.G. Isherwood, the Mayor of Oldham declared that the money might have been better spent on amalgamating Chadderton and Oldham and improving Oldham Town Hall which had fallen into disrepair. 2The Manchester Guardian, Apr 1, (1912), p. 14.
Chadderton Town Hall Today
The Town Hall has been used by the local government and the local council ever since. Our local MP, currently Jim McMahon holds his office in the Town Hall. It is also for use by the general public. It has and still serves as a grand wedding venue.
The Garforth Street entrance is the public entrance. This is now the Oldham Registry office.
The front entrance, accessed from Middleton Road is rather grand and makes the perfect backdrop for wedding photographs.
Entering through the Middelton Road entrance, to the left are council offices and to the right is the registry office. An old piano sits in the lobby area.
Visitors are instantly welcomed by the grand staircase. Again, this is the perfect backdrop for wedding photographs.
The stained glass windows are simply beautiful and speak to the history and grandeur of the property.
At the top of the staircase, visitors are greeted by several historical portraits. The men were significant to the local area and the development of the town.
Entering through the old wooden doors, you’ll find a large ceremony room. This is where most of the weddings take place. The eyes are drawn to the historic items dotted around the room.
There is a smaller ceremony room to the back for smaller occasions. Again, this is also filled with historic artefacts such as pictures and an old grandfather clock.
On the opposite side of the upper floor of the hall is the ballroom room. This is a favourite venue for local weddings. The ballroom consists of a stage and a bar area. It is a huge space and a beautiful ballroom. The huge windows allow plenty of light to enter the room.
There is a separate staircase to the back of the hall and an upper viewing platform or balcony which is now closed to the public due to health and safety concerns.
Toilets are located on the first floor as well as some offices.
To the front of the building is the cenotaph. This memorial was built by Albert Toft in 1921. It features a lone bronze soldier with a rifle standing on a plinth. Annual Remembrance Services are held here and are always incredibly well attended.
Chadderton Town Hall along with the associated walls and garden is a Grade II listed building. It is just one of many listed buildings in the area a testament to Chadderton’s rich history.
With special thanks to the staff at Chadderton Town Hall for allowing me to photograph the building and for their insights.
For a similar post, see Prisoner of War Camp, Glenn Mill, Oldham.
