Public Monument and Sculpture Association National Recording Project
STEAM ENGINE
Region ID | MR | |
Work ID | 48 | |
Manual Reference | MR/BOL03 | |
Type | Other | |
Title | STEAM ENGINE | |
Other | Hick Hargreaves | |
Date of design | 1886 | |
Year of unveiling | 1973 | |
Unveiling details | 4 July 1973 | |
Road | Deansgate | |
Precise Location | Deansgate | |
A to Z Ref | p.145 F7 | |
OS Ref | SD716092 | |
Postcode | ||
Work is | Extant | |
Listing Status | Not listed | |
Duty of Care | Bolton MBC | |
Commissioned by | Bolton MBC | |
Notes | ||
Corliss valve steam engine in rectangular glass case with steel roof. | ||
The engine was built by the Bolton firm, Hick Hargreaves & Co. in 1886 and had been employed in the silk mill of Ford Ayrton at Low Bentham near Lancaster. It was one of the oldest Hick Hargreaves engines still in working order.(1) The mill closed in January 1970 and Hick Hargreaves decided to buy the engine and donate it to the town with a view to siting it in the new pedestrianised shopping precinct in and around Victoria Square (completed 1973). The precinct development was designed by Bolton Director of Architecture Geoffrey Brooks and Director of Planning Robert Ogden and won a civic trust heritage award in 1975.(2) It involved paving the area, and planting trees around a central "ceremonial" area in front of the town hall. The engine was unveiled and set in motion by the mayor as part of the inauguration of the new precinct in June 1973.(3) However, not everyone was pleased by its presence. Several letters to the Bolton Evening News complained that far from being a remnant of a glorious heritage, it was a "repulsive object", reminiscent of a time of low wages, long hours and pollution. It was also said to spoil the view down Oxford Street.(4) the engine is powered by an electric motor. | ||
Bolton's industrial heritage. | ||
circa | ||
raw year | 1973 | |
Condition | Don't know | |
At risk | Don't know | |
Inscriptions | On plaque inside case: This engine was manufactured in Bolton in 1886, and remained operative until 1969. It is representative of the many steam engines manufactured in this area which contributed to our national heritage by supplying countless mills and factories with their principal source of power. This engine was donated to the town by the manufacturers, Hick Hargreaves and Co. Ltd. | |
Signatures | ||
Elements
Element Details
Part of work | Material | Dimensions |
|---|---|---|
Engine | Iron and steel | 457cm high approx |
Case | Steel and glass | 518cm high |
Assessment of Condition
Surface Character: nothing recorded Structural Condition: nothing recorded Vandalism: nothing recorded