Oldham building named one of the country's most endangered Victorian buildings
Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society (Hill Stores) was once a gem
Last updated 14th Dec 2021
A building in Oldham has made the list of the Top 10 most endangered buildings in the country, according to the Victorian Society.
Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society (Hill Stores) was commissioned by Thomas Taylor, and was once one of the largest buildings in the area.
The building, which was completed in 1900, was designed to include drapery, gentlemen's outfitting, furnishing, boot and shoe, butchering and grocery departments, alongside offices, committee, and board rooms, and included an educational department with newsroom, library, and conversation room.
The Oldham Equitable and Cooperative Society building stands out from other Cooperative Society buildings with its two ballrooms. The largest one was built with a seated capacity for 1000 people, and the smaller of the two can fit 500.
Oldham Equitable Building Society was last used in the ‘80s as a dance and music venue.
The scale of the building, with its ballrooms and multiple levels, have made it challenging to find a buyer, and a new lease of life for the deteriorating building.
While some shops remain on the ground floor, the other rooms are now in need of urgent attention.
Victorian Society president Griff Rhys Jones said: “It would be a tragedy if The Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society or Hill Stores is allowed to decay further. It was a popular dance hall and entertainment venue up until recent memory and is still much-loved by many in the community.”
“Its massive scale provides many opportunities for repurposing and re-use. Its existing commercial and entertainment space should give plenty of inspiration to the council, community groups and businesses to make the most of this wonderful building.”
The Top 10 most endangered Victorian buildings in England and Wales:
Coal Drops, Halifax
Halifax Coal Drops were built for the Ovenden and Halifax Junction Railway Co. in 1874 and are an important part of the town's industrial history.
Horncliffe House, Lancashire
Horncliffe House was originally built in 1869 as a private dwelling for Henry Hoyle Hardman, a local mill owner and businessman,
Healings Flour Mill and Warehouses, Tewkesbury
Healings Flour Mill and Warehouses was designed by W.H. James of Tewkesbury for Samuel Healing and Son and was built circa 1865.
Icknield Street School, Birmingham
The Icknield Street School was designed by J.H. Chamberlain of Martin and Chamberlain in 1883 who created several of Birmingham's now listed or lost Victorian buildings.
Indoor Market, Burslem, Stoke on Trent
Burslem indoor market's gothic design and ironwork that was built in 1897 is reminiscent of King's Cross station in London.
Jones & Higgins Department Store, London
The Jones and Higgins Department store opened on the corner of Rye Lane and Peckham High Street in 1867 and formed a key part of a 'Golden Mile' of shops that rivalled Oxford Street. The clock tower was designed by Southwark architects Henry Jarvis & Sons.
Minley Home Farm, Hampshire
The Minley Home Farm was completed circa 1896 to the designs of Arthur Castings, associate to the renowned George Devey, who worked on other buildings in the estate.
Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society (Hill Stores), Oldham
Oldham Equitable Cooperative Society (Hill Stores) commissioned Thomas Taylor to build what would be one of the largest buildings in the area, it was then completed in 1900.
Church of St Helen, Biscathorpe, Lincolnshire
The Church of St Helen, Biscathorpe was rebuilt on the site of the old church in 1847 by W.A. Nicholson in a fanciful Gothic style.
Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff
Architects Oatley and Skinner of Bristol designed the hospital with its ornate interiors in 1902. It first opened in 1908 as 'Cardiff Lunatic Asylum', in the typical style for medical facilities.