Cavendish Community Primary School in Didsbury and a bridge in Hindley are among sixteen “remarkable historic gems” that have been added to the Historic England’s National Heritage list in 2023
The primary school was built in 1904 in a Jacobean revival style by Ernest Woodhouse.
According to the guide,
“The forward-thinking education committee included a detached block for teaching cooking and manual crafts, which other schools shared. The school was also designed so that it could easily be extended, as it eventually was.”
The survival of original features is good throughout, including glazed timber partitions and doors, fireplaces, one real slate blackboard, a service lift, and original parquet flooring and wall tiling. However, the halls on each floor are the showstoppers, with their attractive green and yellow Art Nouveau flower-pattern tiling and remarkable fireplaces at each end, complete with their original grates.
Deep Pit Railway Footbridge, Hindley,I’d described as an unusually long, single-span, wrought-iron pedestrian railway footbridge dates from 1887.
It was built during the peak period of railway bridge construction and spanned 9 tracks, with a large ramp on the south side rather than steps leading up to it. It has survived with minimal alteration, and its architectural interest lies in its elegant design.
Other additions to the list include rare intact Second World War radar station in Northumberland, an exceptional manor house in Norfolk with interiors spanning 500 years of history, and an extremely rare Iron Age cave known as a fogou in Cornwall which had its list entry amended with new information to help with its future management.
“A range of remarkable historic buildings and sites are added to the List each year and 2023 is no exception. We’ve examined and protected some amazing sites this year, which together give us a window into our rich and varied historic environment. The festive period is a great time to find out more about the historic places all around us. I encourage everyone to explore the heritage on our doorsteps and to add what they discover to our Missing Pieces Project for everyone to see and enjoy.”said Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England
