Former Pilkingtons Headquarters complex: including the canteen block and link walkway, gatehouse, former chauffeur's house, car port, steps down to the lake, the north lake surrounds and concrete bridge

This substantial 16-acre complex comprises a series of interconnected buildings and structures set within landscaped grounds. The five principal buildings are the Tower block, Lakeside block, Court block, former museum block and directors' garage, and the Canteen block. The buildings are arranged around two large courtyards, with a tall 13-storey Tower block rising at a right angle from part of the south side of the eastern courtyard. The remainder of this courtyard's south side is formed by a three-storey bridge link.

The eastern courtyard is defined by the four-storey-plus-basement Lakeside block on the east side, an enclosed bridge link (originally the export order office, now a restaurant and kitchen) on the north side, and the four-storey Court block on the west side. The Court block continues around to form all four sides of the western courtyard, where it appears as three storeys on the outside due to sloping ground. Connected to the southern end of the Tower block at right angles are a two-storey former museum block (closed in the 1990s, now used for IT services) and a single-storey directors' garage block, which appears the same height as the museum block due to the slope. A covered walkway links the former museum block to the Lakeside block.

Set to the north-east of the main buildings at the head of a large lake is the two-storey Canteen block, connected to the Lakeside block via a partly-subterranean enclosed walkway. Steps adjacent to both the former museum block and the Canteen block lead down to the lake edge and gardens. A concrete bridge crosses the lake at its mid-point.

To the west of the Court block stands a long, single-storey detached car port built into the sloping ground, with a single-storey former chauffeur's house attached at the southern end. A detached single-storey gatehouse sits to the north-east of the canteen block, next to the site's main entrance.

Exterior Details

All the main buildings have concrete frames clad in slate with double-glazed, floor-to-ceiling Insulight windows (heat-loss reducing) set within aluminium frames, and narrow buff-brick facings to parts of the ground floors. The north and south faces of the Tower and Lakeside blocks, and the south-west corner of the Court block, are clad with Armourclad panels (opaque glass) in four different shades of blue. These panels also form horizontal bands beneath all the main buildings' windows.

Tower Block

The Tower block stands 170 feet high with 13 storeys plus basement and sub-basement. A pergola-style level on the roof houses plant rooms, lift motor rooms and a water tank. The main entrance on the north side, facing into the eastern courtyard, has replacement doors set beneath a flat-roofed canopy. The site access road, which passes underneath the eastern courtyard's bridge links, punches through part of the southern half of the Tower's ground floor, with the upper floors carried on a series of concrete piers.

Lakeside Block

The Lakeside block measures 200 feet long by 45 feet deep, with its main entrance at the northern end of the west side, facing into the eastern courtyard. Attached to the northern end at basement level is a 370-foot-long enclosed link walkway leading to the Canteen block. This walkway is partly subterranean due to the lower ground level by the lake. It has floor-to-ceiling windows and patio doors on the east side separated by buff-brick piers, with a buff-brick parapet concealing pavements and planting above.

Court Block

The entire Court block measures 200 feet by 180 feet with an internal courtyard. The main entrance on the west side incorporates a flat-roofed canopy with later side supports. The internal courtyard is paved in York stone with a central raised podium incorporating brick planting beds and concrete seats. One of the entrances into the internal courtyard retains its original green-coloured glass slab door handles, which are fixed horizontally.

Former Museum Block

The former museum block is two storeys and incorporates buff brick to the westernmost third and replacement cladding to the east end wall. The main entrance at the western end of the north side retains its original entrance doors with green-coloured glass slab door handles which, in contrast to those on the Court block, are fixed vertically. A flat-roofed covered walkway connects the main entrance to the Lakeside block. A secondary entrance lies at the eastern end of the same north elevation. The attached directors' garage block is mainly in buff brick with a roller-shuttered vehicular entrance to the west end wall.

Canteen Block

The now-derelict Canteen block encloses the north end of the lake and was originally constructed to serve approximately 1,600 people from the offices and works. The west end is built into the valley side at lakeside level. The building is 296 feet long with a squat T-shaped plan formed by a smaller, detached two-storey block to the centre rear, which is linked at first-floor level by an enclosed bridge link that originally contained preparation and washing-up areas. This bridge crosses a former goods access road.

The Canteen block's ground floor is recessed and the first floor incorporates a horizontal strip of windows set between two white Vitrolite bands. The ground floor on the south side, which appears to rise out of the lake, incorporates large bow and bay window projections and a series of vertically arranged windows separated by concrete fins. The rear block and the ground floor on the north side and east end are in buff brick. The rear block also incorporates a Bauhaus-style jettied first-floor projection on the north side lit by narrow lights to the side returns. The building has suffered from vandalism; consequently some windows and panels have been removed and bricked up or boarded over. The Canteen block has two internal courtyards, each with an exposed framework with a bone-like sculptural mosaic-clad column forming a focal point, and original planting troughs to the walls and floor.

Interior Details

Parquet floors exist in many areas (mostly hidden under later coverings), along with suspended ceilings concealing services, and Fibreglass wall panels and ceiling tiles made by Pilkingtons' subsidiary company. Grilles set underneath the windows circulate warm filtered air and have been adapted to accommodate air-conditioning. The buildings contain dog-leg and open-well stairs with timber handrails and panelled balustrades of toughened glass. Most stairwell walls are clad with Vitrolite panels of various colours—yellow shades in the Lakeside block and green shades in the Court block. The majority of the lift lobbies are panelled and original veneer doors with small metal lettering denote the presence of gentlemen's and ladies' lavatories on alternate floor levels. Some of the buildings' original toughened-glass spine corridor walls remain in situ, but others have been removed or replaced and some spaces opened up. Original Armourcast glass doors in the corridors have been replaced with modern fire doors.

Tower Block

A double-height foyer beneath the Tower block forms the main entrance for the complex. The foyer has a marble floor and a flight of marble steps incorporating later planters on one side, which lead up to a later reception desk and lift lobby (now enclosed). Access is also provided into the ground floor level of the Court block. A wide stair with marble treads and a toughened and textured-glass panelled balustrade with metal block fixings to the lower part accesses a first-floor mezzanine and lift lobby. The mezzanine also provides access to the Court block and the southern bridge link accessing the Lakeside block.

Filling the stair's half-landing level is a large 37-foot by 9-foot back-lit abstract relief panel of stained, fused glass by Avinash Chandra that stretches across the entire entrance wall. The panel's production involved the use of new techniques used to weld the glass and its swirling colours symbolise fire, the origin of glass. The mezzanine's back walls are decorated with gold mosaic tiles of various shades (an identical section of mosaic work can be found on a column at the entrance level) and black textured cladding. The mezzanine is fronted by a continuation of the stair balustrade.

The Tower block's stairs are treated differently on the floor levels, dictating status within the building. The 11th and 12th floors (Directors' floors) have inset carpet panels to the treads, the 10th floor (managers' offices) has carpeted treads, and the floors below (general offices) have bare treads. The stairwells are lit by tall vertical and narrow horizontal windows, the latter being of textured glass.

The 12th floor was originally the Directors' floor and has a central corridor with rooms off to each side accessed via toughened rolled-glass doors with a polished edge and large, circular blown and spun coloured-glass handles. The floor contains a board/conference room and a directors' suite with reception rooms, dining rooms and kitchen. The rooms have partly-panelled walls and most contain built-in bar and food serveries and cupboards. The conference room also has a sunken rectangular ceiling with concealed lighting and a later translation room/booth inserted alongside one wall. The Directors' dining room has a sliding screen partition and a servery recess containing a large decorative 'Topaz' tinted glass mirror by Professor Robert Gooden. The servery has been extended and has a polished granite top. A similar servery can also be found in the central corridor on the 11th floor, which is lit by concealed lighting. The offices on the 11th floor, which originally formed the chairman's office, are plain and are of lesser interest.

The rest of the Tower's floors, which were originally occupied by directors' offices, conference rooms, secretarial, finance and buying departments, are generally plain and have been modernised and are also of lesser interest. The exception is the first-floor conference room (now known as the Australia Room), which contains a large decorative mirror with silvered and shelled edges by John Humphrey Spender. The Tower's basement and sub-basement contain plant rooms, workshops and storage areas, which are not of special interest.

Lakeside Block

This block originally contained general offices and some areas have since been modernised and are of lesser interest. The former medical centre with consulting rooms, treatment and recovery rooms and surgeries for a physician and chiropodist survives and is now in use as nursing/physiotherapy rooms, with blue and white Vitrolite panels to the walls. Plant and storage rooms are located within the basement, which also provides access into the link walkway connecting to the Canteen block. The walkway has panelled walls (the west wall conceals a retaining wall to the access road and parking area above) and a suspended ceiling with partly-raised chequerboard patterning.

Court Block

The Court block has a spine corridor linking all four sides of the courtyard with offices off to each side. The ground floor incorporates a post room, plant rooms, safe rooms, telephone cubicles (telephones now removed), a clocking-in machine and card holder attached to a wall, and a later gymnasium. A reinforced plastic mural originally located in the entrance foyer has been removed.

Former Museum Block

The interior of the museum block has been converted into IT office space and is of lesser interest. The ground floor has been opened up and the mezzanine level has a replacement balustrade, although some of the original glass balustrade panels, which are in the same style as those in the main Tower entrance foyer, have been retained and are attached to a wall on the main stair landing. The attached directors' garage is a utilitarian sheltered car park.

Canteen Block

The Canteen block originally had a large entrance hall, lounges, cloakrooms and coffee bar on the ground floor, with two large dining rooms for office staff and factory workers on the first floor with views over the lake, along with smaller dining rooms for visitors, senior executives and managers, kitchens and serving areas. Due to the presence and removal of asbestos, the interior has now largely been stripped out and some of the original artwork has been lost; consequently it is of lesser interest.

However, the original stairs with glass-panelled balustrades survive, including the main broad open-tread staircase, along with mosaic-clad columns. The former staff dining room also retains part of a massive abstract sculpted panel in painted wood by Victor Pasmore, whilst a further section of the mural in unpainted wood has been removed into storage. The whole panel put together would occupy an area of 60 feet by 10 feet. Two smaller murals by Pasmore incorporating coloured glass are believed to have been removed. The ground-floor entrance lobby and former lounges retain some small abstract stained-glass and relief panels by various artists, but further etched glass panels and original light fittings have been removed.

Subsidiary Features

Gatehouse

Set to the north-east of the main buildings, adjacent to the site's main entrance, is a small single-storey gatehouse with cladding and buff-brick facings, and large windows to the front elevation. A flat roof projects to form a canopy. The interior was not inspected and is not thought to be of special interest.

Car Port

Set to the west of the Court block is a nine-bay car port constructed into the sloping valley side with landscaped grounds above. The car port is constructed of reinforced concrete and is supported by slender and tapered piers with a buff-brick retaining parapet above, surmounted by later railings.

Former Chauffeur's House

The former chauffeur's house is attached to the southern end of the car port and is accessed at car port level, even though the main single-storey body of the house is located upon higher ground above. The house was originally the home of the chairman's chauffeur and his family but has most recently been used as an office. It has buff-brick facings and a flat roof, and has a Bauhaus-style cubic shape and form. The house is built into the sloping valley side and presents a high, blank retaining wall to the front (east) elevation with a jettied cubic projection at first-floor level (similar to that to the rear of the Canteen block) incorporating narrow vertical lights to the side returns. Further vertical lights exist to the north side, whilst the west and south elevations incorporate large floor-to-ceiling windows.

Attached to the retaining wall to the south of the house is a small outbuilding/store in the same style and materials as the house. The outbuilding's roof projects outwards beyond the wall on the east side as a large flat-roofed canopy above an access doorway.

Internally the main entrance accesses a concrete and timber dog-leg stair that leads up into the house and a hallway lit by a rectangular skylight. The stair is enclosed to the lower part and has wide timber rails forming the landing balustrade and handrails. The rooms are plain and are not of special interest, having been altered with some of the walls knocked through.

North Lake Surrounds, Steps Down to the Lake and Concrete Bridge

On the west side of the lake, adjacent to both the former museum block and the Canteen block, are flights of stone steps leading down to the lake. Crossing the lake at the mid-point is a very wide, 45-metre-long concrete footbridge with steps at each end and a sturdy balustrade incorporating integral bench seating. A further, simpler concrete bridge over Alexandra Drive, which originally connected the headquarters site to Pilkingtons' neighbouring Ravenhead glassworks, was demolished in 1996.

The northern section of the lake has stone kerb stones and surrounds, and straight edges on the west side. The eastern side has an irregular curving edge of 'sculptural' form, with parts of the edging comprising diagonal stone retaining walls.