Forums
Posted By: ghostly1 Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 2nd Sep 2010 6:28pm
A quick question, was the section of Hamilton Square that is the town hall an after thought when it was designed and the building materials that would of been used to continue the buildings all the way round, that fill the rest of the square, have been built elsewhere. Where they built on park road near Radnor place or devonshire road near slatey road. If you go on street view you will see what I mean???

I hOpe that makes sense?? I have written this on a mobile !
Posted By: pacef8 Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 2nd Sep 2010 6:32pm
From what i understand the first side was built as a practise in oxton in devonshire park then the hamilton square development took place a few years later.

It was built to incorporate the town hall as one side.

I hope this helps
Posted By: ghostly1 Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 2nd Sep 2010 6:56pm
thanks pacef8 that helps answer that question, i noticed the similarity on a short walk around birkenhead today. Wondered if they where connected.

Cheers again!
Posted By: bert1 Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 2nd Sep 2010 7:00pm
Why would they need to practise the building of Hamilton sq, It wasn't as if architecture and the ability to build fine buildings was not already established.
Posted By: BMW Joe Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 2nd Sep 2010 7:12pm
Some history of the Birkenhead town hall in this topic here
Posted By: arsenal Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 3rd Sep 2010 9:38pm
the missing part of hamilton square that you're looking for is st aidens terrace which is in between shrewsbury road claughton and the roundabout at the top of forest road.i,ve known about this for 50 years
Posted By: diggingdeeper Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 4th Sep 2010 2:33am
Kenyon Terrace in Devonshire Road is Grade II listed.
Quite a number of properties on Park Road are also Grade II listed.
Yet St Aidans Terrace isn't.

SOURCE
Posted By: uptoncx Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 4th Sep 2010 9:28am

I seem to remember reading, probably in the 1960s, that Gillespie Graham had been 'unhappy' when he learnt that only three sides of his square were to be built, and insisted that the fourth side be built or he would withdraw. The fourth side was built on Westminster Road which was later renamed St Aidens Terrace.

I went down for a quick check this morning, but I'm not sure I'm convinced:




Description: Hamilton square (opposite side to Town Hall)
Attached picture staiden1.jpg

Description: St Aidens Terrace
Attached picture staiden2.jpg
Posted By: derekdwc Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 4th Sep 2010 10:51am
thanks for the link DD
I would be interested in a new topic listed buildings and their pics possibly before they disappear have to tell me how to do the clicky
source button

http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/merseyside/birkenhead
Posted By: uptoncx Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 4th Sep 2010 11:24am
Originally Posted by diggingdeeper
Kenyon Terrace in Devonshire Road is Grade II listed.
Quite a number of properties on Park Road are also Grade II listed.
Yet St Aidans Terrace isn't.


According to the English Heritage site, St Aidans Terrace is listed Grade II

Listing Text:

BIRKENHEAD

SJ28NE ST AIDAN'S TERRACE, Claughton
789-1/3/207 (North side)
28/03/74 Nos.1-9 (Consecutive)
with railings to front

GV II

Includes: No.44 FOREST ROAD Claughton.
Terrace of 9 houses. c1850. Ashlar-faced over brick with Welsh
slate roof. 3-storeyed with basements. Symmetrically-planned
terrace with advanced outer and stepped central bays. Each
house comprises 5-window range with central doorway and 2
windows to principal rooms each side. Outer bays have doorway
in Doric portico porch and round arched sash windows to ground
floor. Sash windows to first floor have alternately segmental
and triangular pedimented heads carried on brackets. Central
house similar. Linking ranges have doorways in architraves
with engaged shafts, canted bay window to one room, two 4-pane
sash windows to the other. Upper windows have stressed
entablatures carried on brackets. End wall stacks.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N and Hubbard E: Cheshire:
Harmondsworth: 1971-).

Listing NGR: SJ3476492903

Posted By: ghostly1 Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 4th Sep 2010 11:37am
Amazing information from everyone thanks for sharing!!
Posted By: bert1 Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 4th Sep 2010 11:58am
Hamilton Sq was completed by the 1850s and described as a beautiful quadrangle, the exception was the site of the town hall, the commissioners reserved the site around 1835 to build the town hall, this was around the time the first town hall was opened. Because of costs, plans to build the existing town hall were shelved until its foundation stone was laid in 1883.
Is it being suggested by contributors that St Aidan's terrace should have slotted in to the site of the town hall. I have to agree with upton, not convinced.
Posted By: diggingdeeper Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 4th Sep 2010 4:25pm
Thanks Upton, I thought it quite strange because I remembered St Aidans being discussed as of historical importance.

Should have used a primary source frown
Posted By: Capt_America Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 4th Sep 2010 4:50pm
Wasn't the town hall re-built after a fire. What's there now wouldn't have been "original".
Posted By: bert1 Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 4th Sep 2010 4:59pm
There was a fire in 1901 which caused the clock tower to come down and damage was caused to the council chamber and anterooms. It was renovated and the clock tower was rebuilt to a different design, the dome was changed.
Posted By: diggingdeeper Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 5th Sep 2010 7:31pm
There is pictures of the original tower HERE
Posted By: diggingdeeper Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 5th Sep 2010 10:29pm
Just to add some similar ones, but I also spotted on a TV program that Cheltenham had similar buildings ...




Description: Park Road South
Attached picture DSCF0866-s.jpg

Description: Devonshire Road
Attached picture DSCF0770-s.jpg
Posted By: uptoncx Re: Hamilton square built elsewhere. - 6th Sep 2010 5:27am
Originally Posted by diggingdeeper
Just to add some similar ones, but I also spotted on a TV program that Cheltenham had similar buildings ...



The top picture is of the old Apostleship of the Sea building which was built as a house c1840 - 1850, the architect is not named. The building is now the Diocese of Shrewsbury Curial Offices.

The bottom one is of part of Kenyon Terrace which was built c1840 and was probably designed by Charles Reed.

Both buildings are Grade II listed.

© Wirral-Wikiwirral