The Development of the Town Hall Area
To provide a suitable setting for the new town hall that was being built, it was decided to improve the surrounding area. Between 1866 and 1886 the area known as the Gank was largely demolished. The Town Hall side of Packer Street was also demolished opening up, on the east side of the Hall, Town Hall Square. The buildings that remained on the east side of Packer Street are surprisingly, considering their previously hidden location, architecturally impressive. Over the years, the buildings towards the Parish Church end of Packer Street underwent a face lift to something more fitting the appearance of the Town Hall Square.
An example of this face lift is
The Flying Horse Hotel. At the turn of the century this public
house was a small, square building as can be seen in the picture
below.
The Flying Horse is to the left of John Bright's statue.
But as the picture below shows (taken in 1982) a third floor was added and the property to the left was purchased and knocked through to make a much larger and more appealing hotel.
The ornate looking building behind the Flying Horse was (I say "was" because it is now a car park!) Broadfield Upper School, formerly Older Hill Upper School and even earlier, the original Rochdale Technical College. This will be dealt with in a later section.
To the rear of the Town Hall, below the Parish Church were two buildings, Kershaw's Corn Mill And Leyland Chambers.
Kershaw's Corn Mill used to be A cabinet and upholstery workshop belonging to Mr W Snowden. Charles Kershaw, who, after marrying the eldest daughter of Mr G Brierley, a local corn miller, became a partner in the family concern. Mr Kershaw, in 1866, set up his own business in The Butts and in 1894 purchased Mr Brierley's premises in Town Hall Square. Unfortunately in 1896 Charles Kershaw died but the business continued to trade under his name for a further 38 years until the mill was demolished in 1934 as part of the Town Centre Redevelopment Scheme. The demolition caused a storm of controversy and when it was revealed that there were plans to use the Town Hall Square as a bus station the letters pages of the Rochdale Observer were constantly full of angry letters from towns folk for over a year after. The Town Hall Square was used as a bus station, as was most of the Esplanade up to the late seventies when the present bus station was built.
Above Left: Kershaw's Corn Mill 1896. Right: Town Hall Square looking towards the site of the corn mill 1999
Leyland Chambers got their name from nearby Leyland Brow (so called because the hillside to the left of the Parish Church steps was at the turn of the 19th century, allowed to become fallow land or ley-land). These chambers were for many years the premises of Worth & Worth, Solicitors. In 1900 the senior partner, J.T. Worth was the high bailiff, registrar of the County Court and clerk to the Market Company. Leyland Chambers were demolished at the same time as the corn mill in 1934. Next to Leyland Chambers are the Parish Church Steps, 122 in total. On 12 July 1759 the church wardens of the Parish Church noted, "it is agreed that Thomas Kershaw (sexton) is to have 5/- [old English shilling] a year for keeping the church steps clean".
Above Left: Leyland Chambers & Parish Church Steps 1900. Right: Same view 1999
The area that housed both Kershaw's Corn Mill and Leyland Chambers is now all landscaped and forms St Chads Gardens. By the mid 1930's the Town Hall area of the town centre was, more or less as it is today, spacious with the Town Hall as a focal point.
Last Updated 15/07/03