{{Short description|Municipal building in Salford, Greater Manchester, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox historic site | name =Salford Town Hall | native_name = | image = Salford Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 3606006 (cropped).jpg | caption=Salford Town Hall | locmapin =Greater Manchester | map_caption =Shown in Greater Manchester | coordinates = {{coord|53.4838|N|2.259|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}} | location =[[Salford]] | area = | built =1827 | architect =[[Richard Lane (architect)|Richard Lane]] | architecture =[[Classical architecture|Neo-classical style]] | governing_body = | designation1 =Grade II Listed Building | designation1_offname = | designation1_date =31 January 1952 | designation1_number =1386076 | website= }} '''Salford Town Hall''' is the former town hall of [[Salford]], [[Greater Manchester]], England. It was the meeting place of the [[County Borough of Salford]]. Following the abolition of the county borough, it became Salford [[Magistrates' court (England and Wales)|Magistrates' Court]] and continued to be used as such until 2011. The court was then merged with the court of [[Manchester]] to form the Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court. The building is now in residential use and is a Grade II [[Listed Building]] being designated in January 1952.<ref name=nhle>{{NHLE |desc= Salford Town Hall|num=1386076 |accessdate=8 February 2019}}</ref>
==History== The foundation stone for the town hall was laid by [[Nicholas Vansittart, 1st Baron Bexley|Lord Bexley]], [[Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster]] in August 1825.<ref>{{cite web|title='Townships: Salford', in A History of the County of Lancaster|volume= 4|first1= William|last1= Farrer |first2= J.|last2= Brownbill |location=London|year= 1911|pages= 204–217|publisher=British History Online |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/lancs/vol4/pp204-217 |accessdate= 8 August 2020}}</ref> The square in which the building now stands was named after him.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wZOSDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT37|title=Salford History Tour|first= Paul |last=Hindle|publisher=Amberley Publishing|year=2019|isbn=978-1445693781}}</ref> It was designed by [[Richard Lane (architect)|Richard Lane]] in the [[Classical architecture|Neo-classical style]] and completed in 1827.<ref name=nhle/> The building, which was originally constructed as a market hall,<ref name=men>{{cite web|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/former-salford-town-hall-magistrates-6383874|title=Former town hall and court to be turned into apartments|date=9 December 2013|publisher=Manchester Evening News|last1=Britton |first1=Paul |accessdate=22 April 2020}}</ref> became the Salford's town hall in 1835 and, additionally, a courthouse in 1840.<ref name=men/> The building was expanded three times in the nineteenth century.<ref name=men/>
In January 1878 it was the place where local hero [[Mark Addy (oarsman)|Mark Addy]] received several awards for his gallantry in saving people from drowning in the [[River Irwell]].<ref>Lancashire Life: A Salford Hero, April 1988</ref> On 1 October 1931 it was the scene of the 'Battle of Bexley Square' where 10,000 protesters of the Salford Branch of the [[National Unemployed Workers' Movement]] clashed with police, an event which is commemorated with a plaque on the building.<ref name=mh>{{cite web|url=http://manchesterhistory.net/manchester/outside/SALFORD/townhall.html|title=Salford Town Hall|publisher=Manchester History|accessdate=22 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://libcom.org/history/battle-bexley-square-salford-unemployed-workers-demonstration-1st-october-1931|publisher= Lib.com|title=The Battle of Bexley Square: Salford Unemployed Workers' Demonstration |date= 1 October 1931|accessdate=8 August 2020}}</ref> The novelist [[Walter Greenwood]] was present at the demonstration and a similar event is portrayed in his novel "[[Love on the Dole]]".<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Frow|first1=Edmund|last2=Frow|first2=Ruth|date=13 December 2009|title=The Battle of Bexley Square|url=https://libcom.org/history/battle-bexley-square-salford-unemployed-workers-demonstration-1st-october-1931|access-date=1 October 2021|website=libcom.org}}</ref>
The building became the headquarters of the County Borough of Salford and continued to be called Salford Town Hall, notwithstanding that Salford was granted [[city status in the United Kingdom|city status]] in 1926.<ref>{{cite book | title= City status in the British Isles, 1830–2002 | series= Historical urban studies | author= Beckett, J V | year= 2005 | publisher= Ashgate | location= Aldershot | isbn= 0-7546-5067-7 }}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=33154|pages=2776–2777|date=23 April 1926}}</ref> It ceased to be the local seat of government when the county borough was abolished by the [[Local Government Act 1972]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70/contents|title=Local Government Act 1972|publisher=Legislation.gov.uk|accessdate=22 April 2020}}</ref> and [[Salford Civic Centre|Swinton and Pendlebury Town Hall]] became the meeting place for the enlarged local authority area, known as the [[City of Salford]], in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.salford.gov.uk/your-council/ceremonial-mayor-of-salford/civic-history/civic-centre/|title=Civic Centre history|publisher=Salford City Council|accessdate=22 April 2020}}</ref>
Salford Town Hall was used as a court house until the last two court rooms closed in December 2011.<ref name=men/> It was subsequently sold to private developers, who completed converting the building into apartments in November 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bardsley.co.uk/salford-town-hall|title=Salford Town Hall|publisher=Bardsley|accessdate=22 April 2020}}</ref>
==Architecture== The building was the first architectural project by Richard Lane. Lane went on to design several further prominent buildings in what is now Greater Manchester, including the Friends Meeting House in [[Chorlton-on-Medlock]] and Chorlton Town Hall, both of which have similar designs to Salford Town Hall.<ref name=mh/> The building is constructed in the Neo-classical style, with a minimalist [[entablature]] of the [[Greek Doric|Doric Order]]. Only the front of the building is faced with stone; the sides are red brick.<ref name=nhle/>
==See also== {{portal|Greater Manchester}} *[[Salford Civic Centre]] *[[Listed buildings in Salford, Greater Manchester]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|Salford Town Hall}}
{{Salford B&S}}
[[Category:Grade II listed buildings in the City of Salford]] [[Category:City and town halls in Greater Manchester]] [[Category:Government buildings completed in 1827]]