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The
Town and the Church
Much of Oldham's town
centre architecture is Victorian. The original Town Hall, with its
impressive facade, was built in 1841. It was from the Town Hall
steps that Sir Winston Churchill made his inaugural acceptance
speech when he was first elected as a Conservative MP in 1900.
Close by is Oldham
Coliseum, the town's repertory theatre, together with the striking
parish church of St Mary's, designed by local architect Richard
Lane in crude Gothic style. The parish church was built in 1830
(but on all accounts this was a replacement for a former church
which stood on the same site) and its interior was painstakingly restored to its original
unusual design in 1974.
In
1827, Sir Charles Barry’s plans were rejected for the rebuilding
of Oldham Parish Church. Barry eventually built the houses of
Parliament. I wonder what these plans looked like, and what Oldham
missed?!
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