Clegg Street, Railway Warehouse. May 2011

[urbexphotos]

The Park Road, or more correctly, Clegg Street Railway Warehouse at Oldham was built in 1876 and although it often know as the London & North Western Railway warehouse it was actually built by the Oldham, Ashton & Guide Bridge Railway which was jointly owned by the London & North Western and the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway (later the Great Central Railway). It was last used in the 1960s and since then has stood empty and becoming increasingly derelict. It owes its survival to the fact of being listed grade 2 on the basis of its unusual curved layout. Over the years there have been many proposals for the re-use of this building but none have succeeded. The building is now owned by the Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council who are prepared to give it to a developer. Another redevelopment plan was announced recently, involving a hotel, office and retail development (Oldham Evening Chronicle, 20 May 2004) and it is felt that if the current scheme fails then it may have to be demolished on account of its condition. But although it was listed because it was unusual, one could now argue that its listing status is further justified on the basis that it is one of the very few surviving Victorian railway warehouses in the region. There are some survivors of course, the Liverpool Road and the Great Northern warehouses in Manchester and the Heaton Norris warehouse in Stockport, but large numbers have been demolished. There were other warehouses in Oldham which have all gone as have those at Shaw and Royton. Similarly warehouses have been demolished in Rochdale, Bury and Bolton. Many of these were built for the use of the cotton trade and one small warehouse survives at New Hey station labelled "Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Cotton Warehouse" (which may justify its listing as a unique survivor).
(From the Manchester Region Industrial Archaeology Society Aug 2004 newsletter)

As a Grade II listed building it stands empty and decaying, despite numerous proposals over the years to develop it nothing has ever become of the old building, shame. It owes its survival to the fact of being listed grade 2 on the basis of its unusual curved layout.

On with the (very pic heavy) show




















































Thanks for looking.

[captain cave man]

nice history, pic's aren't too bad either....keep em coming they will get better.......only problem i now see is that i yet again have to go back to Oldham since i didnt know of this site to talk a look.....thanks for posting

[MJS]

Nice, I like seeing this place

[magoo²]

Nice to see upstairs in this one. Excellent stuff!

[Nicola]

That looks like a fab explore!