List of works by Maxwell and Tuke explained

Maxwell and Tuke was an architectural practice in North West England. It was founded in 1857 and continued to design works, mainly in the local area into the 20th century. The partners were James Maxwell (1838–93), William Charles Tuke (1843–93), and Francis William Maxwell, James' second son (usually known as Frank) (1863–1941). The practice originated in Bury (then in Lancashire, later in Greater Manchester) and moved its main office to Manchester in 1884. The early designs by the practice were for relatively small buildings, such as shops and houses, and for larger ones such as churches. In 1871 they won a competition for the design of Cambridge Hall, Southport. More commissions followed, the most notable being for two large seaside towers: Blackpool Tower, followed by the larger New Brighton Tower, which has since been demolished.

Their work extended to Ireland.[1] [2] They won the competition to design the Reform Club, Royal Avenue, Belfast, 1883–85. The firm was placed second in the competition for the Belfast Central Library.[2]

Key

GradeCriteria
IBuildings of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important
II*Particularly important buildings of more than special interest
IIBuildings of national importance and special interest
B1Special buildings of more local importance or good examples of some period of style (Northern Ireland)
UNot listed

Notable works

NameLocationPhotographDateNotesGrade
Stubbins Congregational Church and Sunday SchoolStubbins, LancashireThe church has been demolished. The former Sunday school has a steep gabled roof and windows with double-pointed arches.U
Public HallHaslingden, Lancashire
53.7071°N -2.3261°W
1868The public hall is in free Italianate style, and has a symmetrical front. The building has been much altered, and was closed in December 2002.U
St Stephen's ChurchHaslingden, Lancashire
53.699°N -2.3438°W
1868The former church was moved to a new site in the town in 1927, and it has been subdivided into shops. It has a northwest tower with a broach spire, and a polygonal apse. The windows contain plate tracery, and the former nave has a hammerbeam roof.U
Eagley HallEagley, Bolton, Greater Manchester
53.6141°N -2.4255°W
1873Originating as a Cooperative store and hall, it has been converted into residential use.U
Cambridge HallSouthport, Merseyside
53.6472°N -3.006°W
1873–74The assembly hall is in French Renaissance style and built in sandstone with a slate roof. It is in two storeys with an attic. On the right side of the front is a tall clock tower, on the left is a smaller tower, and in the centre is a ventilation tower. On the ground floor is a porte-cochère and an arcade forming a loggia. The building later became known the Southport Arts Centre, and was incorporated in the arts complex, The Atkinson.
The Drive Methodist school-chapelSt Annes on Sea, Lancashire
53.7485°N -3.0302°W
1877The original building on the site, it is in red brick with yellow brick decoration on a stone plinth. It is in five bays with buttresses, and has round-arched windows. The school-chapel is part of the listing that includes the adjacent church and reading room that were built later and designed by different architects.
Masonic Hall and Sunday schoolSouthport, Merseyside
53.6436°N -3.0114°W
1878–79This was originally a Free Methodist Church. It is in Italianate style and was extended in 1900. The building is in sandstone with a slate roof. The entrance front contains a portico on columns, above which is an arcade of five round-headed windows, and a pediment flanked by a pierced parapet. The attached single-storey former Sunday school at the rear is included in the listing.
Chapels,
Whitworth Cemetery
Whitworth, Lancashire
53.6672°N -2.1652°W
1878–79Three chapels in Gothic Revival style stand on a plateau in the centre of the cemetery. They are in sandstone with slate roofs. The central chapel has a pinnacled steeple and an apse. The flanking chapels are mirror images of each other, similar to the central chapel, but without a steeple or apse. Each of the chapels is listed.
Barclays BankWhitefield, Greater Manchester
53.5518°N -2.2964°W
1880–83The former bank is a tall building in red brick and terracotta. No longer a bank, it has been converted into an Italian restaurant.U
Congregational ChurchNorthwich, Cheshire
53.2575°N -2.5209°W
1882The church is in brick. Most of its windows are lancets, and some of them contain plate tracery. The building later became a United Reformed Church but closed in 2004.U
Christ ChurchWalmersley, Bury,
Greater Manchester
53.6194°N -2.2963°W
1883The southwest tower was added in 1913. Other features include transepts, a long chancel with a mosaic floor, and wide lancet windows.U
Ulster Reform ClubBelfast,
Northern Ireland
54.5998°N -5.9308°W
1883–85The commission for building the club was won in 1883. It is built mainly in brick, is in three storeys, has an arcaded ground floor and a turret on the corner.
Congregational ChurchBury,
Greater Manchester
1885The church was built in red brick with yellow stone dressings. It has Gothic detailing. On the entrance front were two large four-light windows flanked by staircase turrets. The church later became a United Reformed Church but has since been demolished.U
Former Liberal ClubAccrington, Lancashire
53.7528°N -2.368°W
1885The building has been converted into flats. It is in free Renaissance style, with a symmetrical front. In the centre is a doorway approached by steps, with columns and pilasters. This is flanked by two-storey bay windows, and at the top of the building is a central pedimented dormer and a balustraded parapet.U
Royal Jubilee ExhibitionManchester1887Temporary buildings for the exhibition to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. They consisted of large interconnected greenhouses with a central dome over 140feet high.
St Mary's ChurchHawkshaw,
Greater Manchester
53.6307°N -2.3635°W
1890–92A stone church consisting of a nave, a chancel, a north transept, a southeast vestry, and an unfinished tower-porch. Along the sides of the church are four-light windows between which are buttresses. Inside the church is a hammerbeam roof.U
Charter Street Ragged School and Working Girls HomeManchester
53.4896°N -2.2366°W
1891The original school had been built in 1866. Maxwell and Tuke added a wing in 1891, and replaced the original block in 1898. In addition to educating poor children, it provided separate accommodation for servant girls.U
Blackpool TowerBlackpool, Lancashire
53.8158°N -3.0552°W
1891–94The tower is built in open steel girders standing on concrete blocks. At the top are four galleries, the upper three being open, and an ogee-shaped cap. The tower has a square plan, it tapers from a width of 100feet at the bottom to 30feet under the main gallery, and is 518feet high. Within the base the architects included an arena and a circus.
Bank and heritage centrePort Sunlight, Merseyside
53.349°N -2.997°W
1896This was built originally as four hostels for girls, and was later used as a bank and heritage centre. The building is in two storeys and four bays. The ground floor is in brick with bay windows, above this is a pargetted frieze, and the upper storey is timber-framed with jettied decorated gables.
New Brighton TowerNew Brighton, Merseyside1897–1900At 567feet this was the highest building in Britain. It was higher than Blackpool Tower but with a generally similar design. The architects added substantial buildings at the base about 90feet high including a large theatre and a large ballroom. It cost about £200,000. The tower was demolished in 1919–21, leaving only the ballroom, which was itself demolished in 1969 following a fire.
15 and 17 King StreetManchester
53.4814°N -2.2468°W
1902Built as a shop on a corner site for Goodall's and with various owners since. It has timber-framed cladding and a slate roof, and is in Tudor Revival style. The shop is in four storeys with five bays on one front, three on the other and a curved bay between. On top of the corner is an octagonal turret with a cupola.
Pavilion and kiosks,
North Pier
Blackpool, Lancashire
53.8189°N -3.0564°W
1903The pavilion and entrance kiosks were in "oriental style". They have since been rebuilt and altered.
Rhyl PavilionRhyl, Denbighshire1908The building was a structure on the sea front with a large dome. It included a theatre seating 1,000 people and cost £16,500 to build. The building was demolished in 1974.
Whitehead Clock TowerBury,
Greater Manchester
53.5893°N -2.3008°W
1914The memorial tower is built in Portland stone on a stepped plinth of Aberdeen granite. At the top is a belfry without bells but with corner pinnacles. The belfry is surmounted by a copper ogee-shaped roof. Below it are clock faces on four sides, and below these is elaborate decoration.

References

Citations

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Directory of British Architects 1834–1914 (RIBA 2001), II, 155, 842.
  2. Web site: Dictionary of Irish Architects – 1720–1940 . 2014 . Irish Architectural Archive . 12 September 2014.