Burnley Mechanics

Listed building in Lancashire, England

Burnley Mechanics

Burnley Mechanics

Location within Burnley town centre

Address| Manchester Road, Burnley, England
Coordinates| 53°47′16″N 2°14′40″W﻿ / ﻿53.7878°N 2.2445°W﻿ / 53.7878; -2.2445
Type| Theatre
Construction
Opened| 1855
Architect| James Green (1854–55)
William Waddington (1888)
Website
www.burnleymechanics.co.uk

Listed Building – Grade II*

Official name| Burnley Mechanics
Designated| 19 November 1997
Reference no.| 1244905

The Burnley Mechanics is a theatre and former Mechanics' Institute in the market town of Burnley, Lancashire, England. It was built 1854–55 and converted to a theatre in 1979. Historic England has designated the theatre a Grade II* listed building.

## History

[edit]

The Mechanics' Institute was built in 1854–55 to a design by Todmorden architect James Green. Charles Towneley officially opened the institute in 1855.[1] It was a club for "reading and discussion by an 'earnest few'".[2] As the town grew, the institute increasingly became a social and cultural community centre.[1] Architect William Waddington enlarged the building in 1888.[3] Burnley Borough Council bought the building in 1959 and leased it to companies for a variety of leisure purposes.[1][4] In 1979 the interior was reconstructed as a theatre.[3][4]

Burnley Mechanics was designated a Grade II* listed building by Historic England on 29 September 1977.[3] The Grade II* designation—the second highest of the three grades—is for "particularly important buildings of more than special interest".[5] It is described by Hartwell and Pevsner as "one of Burnley's best buildings".[3] John Champness calls its façade "certainly the finest Classical façade in Burnley and among the very best of its date in the country".[6]

## Architecture

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Burnley Mechanics is built in the Palazzo style in sandstone ashlar.[3] Green's original construction is on a rectangular plan with five bays at the front; it is on two storeys.[4] The ground floor has Venetian-style windows with round, rusticated arches.[4] Waddington's extension at the rear of the building is on a slightly lower level.[4] Its design matches that of the rest of the building, but the newer windows have architraves with pilasters.[3]

On the second floor, there are central windows flanked by Corinthian columns and pilasters.[4] The entrances to the building have coupled Corinthian columns.[4]

## See also

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* Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
* Listed buildings in Burnley

## References

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Footnotes

1. ^ a b c "Burnley Mechanics — Outline", Burnley Borough Council, archived from the original on 27 September 2011, retrieved 13 June 2011
2. ^ Tylecote, pp. 112–113
3. ^ a b c d e f Historic England, "Burnley Mechanics (1244905)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 13 June 2011
4. ^ a b c d e f g Hartwell & Pevsner, pp. 180–181
5. ^ "Listed Buildings", National Heritage List for England, English Heritage, archived from the original on 22 December 2012, retrieved 13 June 2011
6. ^ Champness, p. 134

Bibliography

* Champness, John (1989), Lancashire's Architectural Heritage: An Anthology of Fine Buildings, Lancashire County Planning Dept., ISBN 0-902228-71-4
* Hartwell, Clare; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2009) [1969], Lancashire: North, New Haven and London: Yale University Press, ISBN 0-300-12667-0
* Tylecote, Mabel Phythian (1957), The Mechanics' Institutes of Lancashire & Yorkshire Before 1851, Manchester University Press, OCLC 458433074

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Buildings and structures in the Borough of Burnley

Grade I|

* Gawthorpe Hall
* Great Barn
* Queen Street Mill
* Shuttleworth Hall
* Towneley Hall

Grade II*|

* Burnley Mechanics
* Extwistle Hall
* The Holme
* Church of St Peter

Grade II|

* Burnley Embankment (parts)
* Burnley Town Hall
* Huntroyde
* Padiham Town Hall
* Queens Park
* Scott Park
* Thompson Park
* Towneley Park
* Weavers' Triangle (parts)

Places of worship|

* Burnley: St Andrew
* St Mary of the Assumption
* Holy Trinity (disused)
* Briercliffe: St James
* Cliviger: St John the Divine
* Worsthorne: St John the Evangelist

Listed in|

* Briercliffe
* Burnley
* Cliviger
* Habergham Eaves
* Hapton
* Ightenhill
* Padiham
* Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood

Unlisted|

* Bank Parade drill hall
* Burnley bus station
* Burnley General Teaching Hospital
* Burnley Law Courts
* Burnley Youth Theatre
* Coal Clough Wind Farm
* Harle Syke Mill
* Moorhouse's Brewery
* Singing Ringing Tree
* Turf Moor

Places of worship|

* Places of worship in Burnley
* Burnley: St Matthew

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