SOUTHPORT BRICKS
Cambridge Hall 1872
HRH Princess Mary of Cambridge, after whom the building was named, laid the foundation stone of the Cambridge Hall on 9th October 1872. The building was designed by Maxwell and Tuke of Bury and built by Messrs. Heywood of Southport at a cost of around £30,000; it was opened to the public on 6th October 1874 by the Rt. Hon. RA Cross, the then Home Secretary.
The municipal gardens in front of the Cambridge Hall boasted an ornate fountain, a bandstand and a statue of Queen Victoria. The original bandstand was built in 1900, but demolished in 1911 to make way for a permanent structure but this was later demolished in 1969. The statue now stands at the end of Neville Street facing out to sea. The ornate fountain was also demolished in later years. To the right of the building (facing) is a stone archway inscribed ‘Victoria Schools of Science and Art’. This was the entrance to a large complex of rooms behind the Cambridge Hall and these opened in 1887. Remarkably these comprised of an Art School for 300 students, science classes with a chemical laboratory accommodating forty students, a school of cookery and domestic economy, classes in modern language, as well as a variety of technical subjects. These buildings were demolished in 1987/88 to make way for major redevelopment of the site.
The clock tower is 132ft high. The clock itself was manufactured by Messrs. Joyce of Whitchurch and was the gift of Mr. W. Atkinson Esq. of Southport (after whom The Atkinson is named). At each corner of the tower stand four carved figures representing the British, Roman, Saxon and Norman periods of the English history in the persons of Caractacus, Julius Caesar, Edward the Confessor and King Alfred. Between the window heads are four medallions, each one representing one of the four seasons. Left to right these are spring, summer, autumn and winter.
My View
I wasn't aware this building was once called the Cambridge Hall and for a while just always thought it was The Atkinson.
The building sits next to an old bank and the two of them together form the new Arts Centre and Library.
The Stained Glass Windows
These were the work of Edmonson’s of Manchester and were originally five in number. At the head of each is an armorial roundelt, these represent:
1. The Arms of Lord Skelmersdale
2. The Arms of the Duke of Teck. He was the husband of Princess Mary of Cambridge, who laid the building’s foundation stone. He was one of the Dukes of Wurttemberg and Stuttgart and his motto ‘Furchtlos and Trew’ means ‘Fearless and True’
3. The Royal Arms. With the Royal motto ‘Dieu et Mon Droit’ and the motto of the Order of the Garter, ‘Honi Soit qui mal y pense’.
4. The Southport Arms. The five men in a boat used to refer to Southport’s lifeboat; it no longer forms part of the town’s arms, however. The motto ‘Salus Populi’ means ‘Health of the People’ and refers to the town’s reputation as a health resort.
There was originally a fifth window, bearing the arms of Princess Mary of Cambridge but this was removed as early as 1887 when the Victoria Schools of Science and Art were opened and a passageway was created linking the two buildings. The missing fifth window, however, still exists as it was transferred to the Mayor’s Parlour in the Town Hall and this can be seen at the very end of the Cambridge Arcade.
By the late 1960s the Victorian splendour of the Cambridge Hall had deteriorated almost beyond recognition; the building had fallen into virtual disuse and many schemes were suggested to make good use of the structure which, because of being a listed building, could not be demolished.
The most practical idea seemed to be to turn it into an Arts Centre and, with the support of the (then) borough council, feasibility studies were carried out. It was estimated that the cost of turning the ghostly Victorian building into a thriving modern Arts Centre would be around £230,000.
Work commenced in the early seventies and in 1972 Alan Daiches was appointed as the Centre’s first director. Despite many setbacks during the conversion work (not least being the discovery of dry rot in the auditorium), Southport Arts Centre opened its doors to the public on 28th September 1974 with the Annual Southport Music Festival.
The first professional artist to appear was the concert pianist John Ogdon on 1st October. Mrs. J Jessop J.P., Chairman of the Libraries and Arts Committee officially opened the Centre to the public on 3rd March.
The Southport Arts Centre closed for refurbishment in 2010 and re-opened in May 2013.
