Taken form the Marr housing map of 1904
http://manchester.publicprofiler.org
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Ardwick: C Division
Openshaw P.S Ashton Old Road.
There remains some mystery as to the exact location or image/design of this building. Clearly it existed as it is specifically listed in the 1890 Bill to be taken over by the Manchester Police: 'Openshaw Police station situate in Ashton Old Road Openshaw'. It gains a second mention in Caminada's report which even fixes its exact location to around Bessemer Street as measured from Fairfield St and Brook St Police Stations.
However no picture exists nor is it listed in the Pigot's or Slater's trade directories. Even the normally reliable OS mapping for public buildings, specifically the OS map of 1905 1:2500 series fails to identify it. However as the building was let go in 1903 this may account for that decision.
One clue does exist namely the above photograph. Listed by the Manchester Local Image Collection as 'Clayton' Police Station from 1907 as taken from the inscription on the photographers plate. The Clayton/Openshaw boundary runs roughly parallel with Ashton Old Road coming within 200yards north of the relevant point over half a mile west of the Openshaw crossroads. It is possible therefore the photographer felt he was in Clayton not Openshaw. Further no record of a 'Clayton Police Station' in this period has ever been found and considering the evidence for all the others this is fairly conclusive there was none. Openshaw and Clayton Police Stations may just be one and the same mystery.
June 5th 1890 C. C reports on the 24th Articles of the Provisional Order of the Local Government Board re the amalgamation and takeover of the police Stations; Blackley, Crumpsall, Gorton, Miles Platting, Longsight, Openshaw and Newton Health form the County.
Nov 27th 1890 Repairs to Lock-ups inspection:
Dec 3rd 1890 To connect new fire stations by wire to Jackson’s Row Fire Station £114, and to include Openshaw Police and Fire station.
March 1891 Insurance valuation of £350.
July 23rd 1891 Twinquennial valuation of properties owned by the W.C only: Not assessed.
21st May 1896 Quinquennial Valuation and Inventory of Furniture of properties of the WC.
£1,455.0.0 £52.4.2.
19th May 1898 LUSC: £60 estimate for small painting jobs by men in the premises
19th May 1898 City Surveyor to be instructed to obtain an estimate of the cost of fixing of glass fanlights instead of perforated iron ones at the various police stations. [believed this is to the cell doors such as Fairfield St PS] Tender £126
13th Oct 1898 LUSC: repairs to fire grates and window sills.
27th Sept 1898 Chief Constable Peacock’s report re police stations: [see separate personnel page]
Closure of following stations except for prisoners in emergency – Newton St, Fairfield St, Lowe St, Brook St, Ashton Old Road [Openshaw], Belle Vue Street. To build new stations at Mill St Bradford.
27th April 1899 In a letter to the W.C over ‘rights of light’, Mr Moffatt the owner of a one storey building next door claimed the police station was erected in 1891[ This conflicts with the facts above as already in existence in 1890 as a Lancashire Constabulary PS]
1899 Caminada’s report details station as unnecessary with the building of Mill Street and lists its distance exactly from Fairfield St and Brook St in yards which places it in the locale of Bessemer St, 0.6 mile up Ashton Old Road from Grey Mare Lane.
22nd Feb 1900 The dispute over the ‘right to light’ Mr Moffatt’s solicitor informs the WC that - their client will now put up a hoarding to preserve his right to light contrary to the Corporation’s light and with unnecessary expense – all for the sake of 1/- p.a.
1st March 1900 LUSC: Regarding the Chief Constable’s report to Mr McCabe.
‘In response to making another report. If the Committee were to put their energies into putting Newton Street and the C Division stations into proper order they would have sufficient work on hand for the present’.
The C. Cons further recommended –
The Mill St PS should now be pushed forward closing Brook St and Openshaw PS the later being let to the Openshaw Board of Guardians. To have a new station near Cornwall St [the future West Gorton PS on Ashton Old Road].
Letter form Chorlton Union [Poor law Guardians] Office at All Saints. ‘The Guardians of this Union are anxious to procure a permanent relief station in the Township of Openshaw and they are interested to know if the Watch Committee will let the premises and in what terms.’
15th May 1901 Quinquennial Valuations: £1,507.
22nd Oct 1903 Brook St PS and Ashton Old Road PS Openshaw disposed of.
2012 All old buildings bar two Victorian public houses now demolished in the area.
However no picture exists nor is it listed in the Pigot's or Slater's trade directories. Even the normally reliable OS mapping for public buildings, specifically the OS map of 1905 1:2500 series fails to identify it. However as the building was let go in 1903 this may account for that decision.
One clue does exist namely the above photograph. Listed by the Manchester Local Image Collection as 'Clayton' Police Station from 1907 as taken from the inscription on the photographers plate. The Clayton/Openshaw boundary runs roughly parallel with Ashton Old Road coming within 200yards north of the relevant point over half a mile west of the Openshaw crossroads. It is possible therefore the photographer felt he was in Clayton not Openshaw. Further no record of a 'Clayton Police Station' in this period has ever been found and considering the evidence for all the others this is fairly conclusive there was none. Openshaw and Clayton Police Stations may just be one and the same mystery.
June 5th 1890 C. C reports on the 24th Articles of the Provisional Order of the Local Government Board re the amalgamation and takeover of the police Stations; Blackley, Crumpsall, Gorton, Miles Platting, Longsight, Openshaw and Newton Health form the County.
Nov 27th 1890 Repairs to Lock-ups inspection:
Dec 3rd 1890 To connect new fire stations by wire to Jackson’s Row Fire Station £114, and to include Openshaw Police and Fire station.
March 1891 Insurance valuation of £350.
July 23rd 1891 Twinquennial valuation of properties owned by the W.C only: Not assessed.
21st May 1896 Quinquennial Valuation and Inventory of Furniture of properties of the WC.
£1,455.0.0 £52.4.2.
19th May 1898 LUSC: £60 estimate for small painting jobs by men in the premises
19th May 1898 City Surveyor to be instructed to obtain an estimate of the cost of fixing of glass fanlights instead of perforated iron ones at the various police stations. [believed this is to the cell doors such as Fairfield St PS] Tender £126
13th Oct 1898 LUSC: repairs to fire grates and window sills.
27th Sept 1898 Chief Constable Peacock’s report re police stations: [see separate personnel page]
Closure of following stations except for prisoners in emergency – Newton St, Fairfield St, Lowe St, Brook St, Ashton Old Road [Openshaw], Belle Vue Street. To build new stations at Mill St Bradford.
27th April 1899 In a letter to the W.C over ‘rights of light’, Mr Moffatt the owner of a one storey building next door claimed the police station was erected in 1891[ This conflicts with the facts above as already in existence in 1890 as a Lancashire Constabulary PS]
1899 Caminada’s report details station as unnecessary with the building of Mill Street and lists its distance exactly from Fairfield St and Brook St in yards which places it in the locale of Bessemer St, 0.6 mile up Ashton Old Road from Grey Mare Lane.
22nd Feb 1900 The dispute over the ‘right to light’ Mr Moffatt’s solicitor informs the WC that - their client will now put up a hoarding to preserve his right to light contrary to the Corporation’s light and with unnecessary expense – all for the sake of 1/- p.a.
1st March 1900 LUSC: Regarding the Chief Constable’s report to Mr McCabe.
‘In response to making another report. If the Committee were to put their energies into putting Newton Street and the C Division stations into proper order they would have sufficient work on hand for the present’.
The C. Cons further recommended –
The Mill St PS should now be pushed forward closing Brook St and Openshaw PS the later being let to the Openshaw Board of Guardians. To have a new station near Cornwall St [the future West Gorton PS on Ashton Old Road].
Letter form Chorlton Union [Poor law Guardians] Office at All Saints. ‘The Guardians of this Union are anxious to procure a permanent relief station in the Township of Openshaw and they are interested to know if the Watch Committee will let the premises and in what terms.’
15th May 1901 Quinquennial Valuations: £1,507.
22nd Oct 1903 Brook St PS and Ashton Old Road PS Openshaw disposed of.
2012 All old buildings bar two Victorian public houses now demolished in the area.
