Prudential Assurance Buildings - Oldham - October 2016
History
The history can be found on the British Listed Buildings website, and says:-
Grade II Listed Office building. 1889. By Alfred Waterhouse. Brick with terracotta dressings, and red plain tiled roof. 3 stories raised over basement with attic. 3-window range with recessed polygonal towers over entrances to each side. Polished granite plinth and piers to round-arched entrance in shallow projecting gabled porch. 3 wide round-arched windows to ground floor, each of 3 lights with small upper panes. Raised lettering "Prudential Assurance Buildings" over ground floor windows.
3-light mullioned and transomed windows above, with decorative terracotta paneled architraves and cartouches over each window. Second floor windows similar. Lozenge frieze below modillion eaves cornice. New dormer windows in roof, and gable end stacks. 2-light transomed windows in 3 faces of angle towers, with decorative terracotta dressings. Attic story above cornice, and interlace decoration to frieze over attic windows.
West return of white glazed brick, with long 2-storeyed wing with 5 wide segmentally-arched windows and smaller windows to service range beyond. East return brick and terracotta, with canted angle to rear gable. Rear range parallel to street links the two wings.
INTERIOR of main hall has ornate plaster paneled ceiling and tiled walls.
Last listed for sale in 2014 with a guide price of £425,000
The night club in the basement was Rennies but changed it’s name to Holy City Zoo, by the sounds of it; even though it was trendy and had top DJ's the entrance fee was too high for many Oldhamer's.
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I'd had my eye on this place for many a year, the rate the windows get put through meant there must be access at some point. It was good to see that Zer081 had managed to get in recently, fingers crossed that it hadn't been sealed up again.
I was surprised how busy Oldham was early on a Sunday morning; most were workers from the nearby town hall project to make it into a cinema, they even had cabins in the carpark of this building. Alternative access due to the workers kept me entertained for a bit, but finally made it inside and headed up stairs.
The building is pretty trashed inside, but some nice original features are still in place.
Lots of pealing wall paper and mouldy walls.
The ground floor is what you come here to see; the tiles are fantastic.
It must have been a very grand place in its time.
From this fantastic room it was easy enough to descend into the basement and what was the night club; it still has the smell of stale beer in the air.
Alas there was nothing on tap!
That's it, was a great Sunday stroll, the tiles in the ground floor are what make this place.
Cheers,
TLR.
History
The history can be found on the British Listed Buildings website, and says:-
Grade II Listed Office building. 1889. By Alfred Waterhouse. Brick with terracotta dressings, and red plain tiled roof. 3 stories raised over basement with attic. 3-window range with recessed polygonal towers over entrances to each side. Polished granite plinth and piers to round-arched entrance in shallow projecting gabled porch. 3 wide round-arched windows to ground floor, each of 3 lights with small upper panes. Raised lettering "Prudential Assurance Buildings" over ground floor windows.
3-light mullioned and transomed windows above, with decorative terracotta paneled architraves and cartouches over each window. Second floor windows similar. Lozenge frieze below modillion eaves cornice. New dormer windows in roof, and gable end stacks. 2-light transomed windows in 3 faces of angle towers, with decorative terracotta dressings. Attic story above cornice, and interlace decoration to frieze over attic windows.
West return of white glazed brick, with long 2-storeyed wing with 5 wide segmentally-arched windows and smaller windows to service range beyond. East return brick and terracotta, with canted angle to rear gable. Rear range parallel to street links the two wings.
INTERIOR of main hall has ornate plaster paneled ceiling and tiled walls.
Last listed for sale in 2014 with a guide price of £425,000
The night club in the basement was Rennies but changed it’s name to Holy City Zoo, by the sounds of it; even though it was trendy and had top DJ's the entrance fee was too high for many Oldhamer's.
Report
I'd had my eye on this place for many a year, the rate the windows get put through meant there must be access at some point. It was good to see that Zer081 had managed to get in recently, fingers crossed that it hadn't been sealed up again.
I was surprised how busy Oldham was early on a Sunday morning; most were workers from the nearby town hall project to make it into a cinema, they even had cabins in the carpark of this building. Alternative access due to the workers kept me entertained for a bit, but finally made it inside and headed up stairs.
The building is pretty trashed inside, but some nice original features are still in place.
Lots of pealing wall paper and mouldy walls.
The ground floor is what you come here to see; the tiles are fantastic.
It must have been a very grand place in its time.
From this fantastic room it was easy enough to descend into the basement and what was the night club; it still has the smell of stale beer in the air.
Alas there was nothing on tap!
That's it, was a great Sunday stroll, the tiles in the ground floor are what make this place.
Cheers,
TLR.
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