Southport Arts Centre with entrance to Cambridge Arcade

SD3317SE 664-1/12/112

SOUTHPORT LORD STREET (East side) Southport Arts Centre with entrance to Cambridge Arcade

(Formerly Listed as: LORD STREET (East side) Cambridge Hall (including facade of Cambridge Arcade))

15/11/72

GV II Public assembly hall and theatre; with attached arcade entrance. 1871-74, slightly altered. By Maxwell and Tuke. Sandstone ashlar, slate roofs. French Renaissance style. Large rectangular plan, with projected corners linked by a loggia with a porte cochere in the centre, and arcade entrance attached to left (linked to the Town Hall, qv).

EXTERIOR: two storeys and attic plus clock tower to south west corner; 1:7:1 windows. Symmetrical except for the tower; with a plinth, channelled rustication to the ground floor, an enriched frieze and cornice carried round the loggia and port cochere (and over the arcade entrance to the left and an archway to the right). Prominent dentilled upper cornice with pierced parapet to the main range, a turreted Baroque roof to the north corner, a featured attic dormer to the centre and a tower to the south corner with a tall belfry stage surmounted by elaborate lead-clad spire with clock faces.

The loggia and porte cochere (2:3:2 bays) are arcades of cylindrical columns with prominent crocketed capitals carrying stilted segmental arches with enriched heads, protecting round-headed entrance arches and segmental-headed windows; the flanking end bays each have one square-headed window with run-out voussoirs. The upper floor has tall round-headed windows throughout, with moulded imposts and circular glazing bars in the heads. The arcade entrance to the left, a two bay screen of large round-headed arches with moulded imposts and heads with keystones, has the frieze inscribed: CAMBRIDGE ARCADE, and a balustraded parapet. To the right a passage entry is bridged by a stilted segmental arch (linked to the Atkinson Library and Art Gallery) which is in similar style to the loggia and has a frieze inscribed: VICTORIA / SCHOOLS of SCIENCE AND ART.

INTERIOR: imposing entrance hall with stone staircase. Foundation stone laid by Princess Mary of Cambridge, in whose honour it was originally named.

Forms group with Town Hall (qv) adjoining to the left and Atkinson Library and Art Gallery (qv) adjoining to the right.

Listing NGR: SD3360117218