Blandford House

Blandford House is a former Co-operative warehouse, now serving as the Museum Services Headquarters and Archives Department. It was built in 1899 by Oliver and Leeson for the Co-operative Wholesale Society. The building features red brick with sandstone and terracotta decorations, topped with graduated Lakeland slate roofs and copper domes. It consists of four storeys and two-storey attics, with a total of 13 bays, including a projecting left corner bay and a set-back right end bay.

The entrances are located on the canted corner and in the first and fifth bays, framed by stone panels with rock-faced rustication that forms voussoirs and keystones for the round arches. Both the corner and main entrances are adorned with segmental broken pediments that hold plaques displaying the County Logo. Above the corner door, there is a wrought iron lamp bracket.

Full-height flat pilasters support an attic balcony, which is decorated with egg-and-dart moulding and stone brackets. These pilasters also form elliptical heads above tall sunk panels that hold the four levels of segment-headed windows. The principal windows, located on the tall second floor, are 2-light windows with arched internal heads and stone alternate voussoirs. All windows are sashes with glazing bars.

On the left corner, there is a tall narrow oriel window that rests on a stone corbel and rises to an ogee dome, topped with a crowning onion domelet and spike finial. The right bay features a canted oriel with a similar dome. Inside, the building showcases a high-quality staircase and a director's suite, complete with marble stairs, walnut panelling, stained glass on the top landing depicting a large wheatsheaf, and art deco light fittings.