County Borough of Rochdale : Fire Brigade Station and Fireman's dwellings, erected 1933
From the glorious brochure issued by the County Borough Council's Watch Committee is this beautiful photo of the new station and houses constructed to front Maclure Rd in Rochdale. Designed by the Borough Surveyor S H Morgan and his Assistant S G Eldred the station was formally opened by Alderman J Rodley JP on 3 May 1933, with the Mayor, Councillor J W Dutton JP present. Others included in the praise are Henry Howarth who was the Borough's Chief Constable of Police as well as the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade, and his Second Officer, James Wilson. The building is a monument to the town's progress and the building, with its "bright red brickwork and rather severe stonework", was described that being "planned with a view to the utmost efficiency is obvious on the most cursory examination, but additionally the town has been provided with a structure pleasing to the eye". It was also designed to the most modern standards, following the example of towns and cities such as Leicester whose Brigade Station was seen as a model of modernity. Much of this was due to the Leicester based company of Gent & Co Ltd., today best recalled for clocks, and upon whose electric bell and alarm systems, the control room here at Rochdale was based upon. This allowed for the automatic ringing of alarm bells and switching on of lights in the 32 adjacent fireman's houses!
Architecturally, although very 'municipal', the facade is enlivened with some charming sandstone carvings of brigade activities that include a relief of a fire "engine" or appliance. The Borough's three can be seen here - all Leylands, the two biggest named "Rodley" and "Ashworth" (no less!) with a smaller one called "Denehurst". The motor cycle combination carried an addiitonal Leyland pump. Not seen here are the town's four Austin ambulances also based here. The other feature of note is the hose drying tower - not a ladder practice tower - that rises to a height of 115ft and a reminder that in the day the canvas hoses used had to be dried out after use. There is a local story that the tower was deliberately of such a height to architecturally compliment the adjacent Catholic Church opposite, completed some 10 years earlier and with an amazing dome but no tower!
I'm pleased to say that this view is still the same as, although no longer operational, a marvellous campaign waged over many years by dedicated volunteers has seen the building secured as the base of the North West's Fire Brigade Museum.
County Borough of Rochdale : Fire Brigade Station and Fireman's dwellings, erected 1933
From the glorious brochure issued by the County Borough Council's Watch Committee is this beautiful photo of the new station and houses constructed to front Maclure Rd in Rochdale. Designed by the Borough Surveyor S H Morgan and his Assistant S G Eldred the station was formally opened by Alderman J Rodley JP on 3 May 1933, with the Mayor, Councillor J W Dutton JP present. Others included in the praise are Henry Howarth who was the Borough's Chief Constable of Police as well as the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade, and his Second Officer, James Wilson. The building is a monument to the town's progress and the building, with its "bright red brickwork and rather severe stonework", was described that being "planned with a view to the utmost efficiency is obvious on the most cursory examination, but additionally the town has been provided with a structure pleasing to the eye". It was also designed to the most modern standards, following the example of towns and cities such as Leicester whose Brigade Station was seen as a model of modernity. Much of this was due to the Leicester based company of Gent & Co Ltd., today best recalled for clocks, and upon whose electric bell and alarm systems, the control room here at Rochdale was based upon. This allowed for the automatic ringing of alarm bells and switching on of lights in the 32 adjacent fireman's houses!
Architecturally, although very 'municipal', the facade is enlivened with some charming sandstone carvings of brigade activities that include a relief of a fire "engine" or appliance. The Borough's three can be seen here - all Leylands, the two biggest named "Rodley" and "Ashworth" (no less!) with a smaller one called "Denehurst". The motor cycle combination carried an addiitonal Leyland pump. Not seen here are the town's four Austin ambulances also based here. The other feature of note is the hose drying tower - not a ladder practice tower - that rises to a height of 115ft and a reminder that in the day the canvas hoses used had to be dried out after use. There is a local story that the tower was deliberately of such a height to architecturally compliment the adjacent Catholic Church opposite, completed some 10 years earlier and with an amazing dome but no tower!
I'm pleased to say that this view is still the same as, although no longer operational, a marvellous campaign waged over many years by dedicated volunteers has seen the building secured as the base of the North West's Fire Brigade Museum.