Earlestown Town Hall

Earlestown Town Hall was built in 1892–3 to designs by local architect Thomas Beesley following an architectural competition. The building was constructed by R. Neill & Sons of Manchester at a cost of £10,200. Built in red brick with moulded and rubbed brick dressings under slate roofs, it displays an eclectic Queen Anne style with Flemish influences. The building rises two storeys plus attic and basement, with a distinctive five-stage clock tower incorporated at the north-east corner.

The town hall occupies a prominent triangular site bordered by Market Street, Tamworth Street, and Lord Street, resulting in a V-shaped plan. A double-height first-floor hall runs alongside Tamworth Street. Some ground-floor windows retain inscribed etched glass detailing the original room functions.

Exterior

The main north-east elevation facing Market Street extends seven bays. Ground-floor windows feature stone mullions and transoms, while first-floor windows have multi-pane sashes with segmental arched heads. A projecting stringcourse runs between first and second floors across bays one to five, with a shallow dentil-style frieze above the first-floor windows. A raised shaped gable rises from the roof between bays five and six.

The central three bays display decorative raised Flemish-style shaped gables. The centre gable is the tallest and most ornate, featuring a small pediment, a large blind roundel panel below, and a lunette window in the lower part styled as a fanlight. Full-height narrow octagonal turrets flank the centre bay, surmounted by domed caps. The right turret retains its ball finial; the left has lost its finial. The arched main entrance at ground floor has geometric panelled double doors, a wide five-light overlight, and a five-light stained-glass fanlight above. The tympanum contains small decorative carved panels depicting flowers. Above, a wide first-floor opening has a painted lintel, multi-paned doors and windows, and a fanlight. A low curved balcony projects in front, featuring decorative carved panels supported by large console brackets (both now slanted due to previous structural movement), with a decorative band above containing carved panels.

The flanking bays have identical Flemish-style shaped gables with segmental pediments, decorative carved panels below, and blind lunette windows with decorative carved panels incorporating floral designs. Pilaster strips divide the bays. The ground floor has tripartite windows (six lights to the centre), with four sash windows above at first floor (those to the centre raised with rounded heads incorporating keystones).

Bay two forms part of the tower, with a cross window at ground floor, a four-over-four sash window at first floor, and a four-over-four round-headed sash window at the third stage. Large paired two-light arched belfry windows have a small roundel above the centre. The parapet above features decorative carved panels and raised corners surmounted by ball finials, with a Lombard-style frieze. The narrower fifth stage has a clock on each face, surmounted by a shaped copper roof.

Bays six and seven form a slightly lower section to the far right, possibly the original caretaker's house. Bay seven has a separate arched recessed entrance accessed by four steps (with no internal access from the main building), featuring a geometric panelled partly glazed door with glazed side panels and a four-light overlight. A six-over-six sash window sits at first floor above, with paired four-over-four sash windows to the left bay (shorter at first floor). Slightly projecting carved panels appear between floor levels. The raised shaped end gable has projecting vertical and horizontal banding detail and a blind square panel.

The splayed east corner elevation runs three bays with projecting stringcourses above windows. The identical outer bays have conjoined decorative shaped gables in the same style as those to Market Street. Six-light stone mullion and transom windows appear at ground floor, with square-headed two-over-two sashes at first floor with carved panels below. A cross window sits at ground-floor centre. A rectangular panel above contains carved relief lettering reading 'AD 1892'. The taller plain gable of the rear public hall block rises behind (the original four-light blind panel has been removed).

The south elevation fronting Tamworth Street comprises a seven-bay public hall block with ridge vents. The double-height first-floor hall sits above ground-floor offices, with a projecting stringcourse between floors. A tall doorway with multi-paned overlight and side window appears at the far left (door now boarded over). Large arched windows with central mullions and one-over-one sashes occupy bays two and three. Wider arched windows at the far right have integral fanlights. Larger six-light arched windows light the first floor of bays one to six. A lower two-bay section at the far right forms part of the splayed corner block, with a cross window at ground floor, paired four-over-four sash windows above, and an eight-over-eight sash window above left. Chimneys have been removed. Two mid-20th-century single-storey extensions (one not attached to the main building) and a two-storey mid- to late-20th-century caretaker's house to the rear of the town hall are not of interest and excluded from the listing.

Interior

The interior is generally of lesser interest but retains some notable survivals. The ground floor has been altered, though the rear ground floor left retains its intact original office layout with original partly glazed partition walls. The first-floor mayoral chambers to the front (north-east side) are plainly detailed. Moulded cornicing survives in some ground- and first-floor rooms. Most original four- and six-panel doors survive, some with geometrically patterned overlights, some with etched glass upper panels, all with plain moulded architraves. Fireplaces have been removed, though the majority of chimneybreasts survive. Arched hallways run through the ground floor (some hidden under suspended ceilings). A Corinthian-style column stands in the enlarged office area to the front left of the ground floor. An original walk-in safe remains in the ground-floor east corner office.

The main open-well stair has a wreathed handrail and a decorative carved newel post depicting a ram's head rising out of a crown (Lord Newton's crest). Skylights with geometrically patterned glazing illuminate the stairwell and first-floor side landing. A late-20th- or early-21st-century passenger lift has been inserted to the front left of the building.

A pair of double doors with geometrically patterned overlights on the first-floor side landing leads into the large double-height hall on the south side of the building. The hall features pilaster wall decoration incorporating egg-and-dart mouldings, a gallery (accessed by a rear cantilevered concrete stair), and a later inserted bar at the west end. A large stage occupies the east end, with dressing rooms and a corridor behind. Arched braced roof trusses are partially concealed by the ceiling. A large brick and cast-iron range survives in a small room behind.

A series of small basement rooms exists (some with later inserted structural supports and tie bars). The timber stair (with replaced coverings), picture rails, and two chimneybreasts survive in the original caretaker's house/office, which has an inserted rear doorway into the mid-20th-century extension.

Historical Context

In December 1889, land at Williamson Square was leased to the town's commissioners by William John Legh and Thomas William Legh Esquires at a peppercorn rent (if demanded) for 999 years for the construction of a public hall and offices, though work did not commence until three years later. The clock and bells for the tower were produced by Potts & Sons. It has been suggested that the cost of the hall was provided as a gift for the community by William John Legh, the local lord of the manor (Lord Newton), to celebrate his elevation to a peerage in 1892. However, the designs for the building had already been commissioned in 1891, so it is unknown whether he donated the cost of the building.

The building was originally called a public hall rather than a town hall because at the time of its construction the seat of local government in the area was at nearby Newton Town Hall. However, shortly after its construction it became known as Earlestown Town Hall as the accommodation at Newton-in-Makerfield (later Newton-le-Willows) was outgrown. Newton Urban District Council was established in 1895. The balcony on the front elevation of the town hall was used for public announcements and election results. During the Second World War, the basement rooms were used by the Home Guard.