Former Police And Ambulance Station

SJ8498 698-1/17/449 20/01/92

MANCHESTER

GOULDEN STREET, Ancoats (North East side) Former Police and Ambulance Station

II

Former police and fire station. Mid to later C19, altered and part reduced. Red brick with some sandstone ashlar, hipped slate roofs. Rectangular plan on island site incorporating office and domestic block on west side, cell range to south of this, with tall chimney stack, and fire engine garage on east side, all within a curtain wall. One, 2 and 4 storeys, with basements. Curtain wall with sandstone ashlar plinth, rusticated quoins to the angles, plain cornice and parapet carried round. The principal feature of the entrance front on the west side is the gable end of the 4-storey main block, which has a 3-bay facade of ashlar, in classical style, the ground floor pilastered and panelled, with a cornice, a giant arcade of round-headed blank arches to the upper floors, with plain pilasters, moulded imposts and moulded heads with volute keystones, frieze with raised lettering "POLICE STATION B DIVISION", a prominent modillioned cornice, and a balustraded parapet with carved shield of Arms in the centre (with lion and unicorn supporters) under a segmental pediment. To the left is a short rebuilt section of the curtain wall containing a square-headed wagon doorway with square cast-iron pillars, and left of this the ground floor facade of a formerly similar tall block on this corner. To the right of the main block the curtain wall is blind, and rising above it is a tall rectangular chimney with panelled sides and stone cornice with brackets. The right-hand return wall, which includes the south end of a 2-storey block (containing 1st-floor drill hall) has 2 small and 2 large doorways (all apparently inserted doorways). The east side is almost filled by a colonnade of 13 garage doorways with square panelled cast-iron columns and wooden lintels. Interior: many original features including offices with domestic quarters above, prison cells with plain wooden bunks, etc. Representative of growth of administrative institutions of large city; strikingly defensive design, making an interesting comparison with the later Police and Fire Station in London Road (q.v.).

Listing NGR: SJ8471098885