Staircase and exedra in Jubilee Park transformed

Liz McInnes MP, Councillor June West, Mayor and Mayoress Ian and Christine Duckworth, Malcolm Allen and Sue Oakley

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The grade II listed staircase and exedra in Middleton’s Jubilee Park has been transformed following an £87,000 makeover.

The stunning structure, which was designed by famous Middleton architect Edgar Wood and completed in 1906, has officially re-opened following the three month revamp.

The delicate work involved gently cleaning the whole structure, sourcing matching stone to repair the damaged steps and re-pointing all the stonework.

The original structure also featured a fountain, which, due to its small height, is thought to have been designed for children. The fountain was lost some years ago, but a carved stone commemorating Edgar Wood has now been placed where it once stood.

The staircase and exedra was so famous when it was built that it featured on the cover of the 1906 edition of the prominent journal, Academy Architecture, which illustrated the most important designs exhibited at the Royal Academy each year.

The restoration is part of the Middleton Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI), a £2.8m Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and Rochdale Borough Council funded project to restore a number of historic buildings in Middleton, many of which were designed by Edgar Wood.

Councillor June West, chairwoman of the Middleton Township and member of the THI Board, said: “This spectacular transformation has lifted this already beautiful area and perfectly frames the grade I listed St Leonard’s Church, which you can see behind the staircase and exedra.

“Visitors to Jubilee Park can now enjoy relaxing in this fantastic space, in much the same way as their Victorian ancestors would have done in years gone by.

“We are very lucky to have such interesting places in Middleton and this THI is very special, being one of the few in the country which restores buildings created by one of Europe’s leading architects, rather than the renovation of mainstream buildings designed by builders or unknown architects.”

A number of other buildings and sites in Middleton have been restored as part of the Middleton THI, including the old burial ground at St Leonard’s Church, Jubilee Library and Edgar Wood’s former home, Redcroft, at 33 Rochdale Road.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/109605/edgar-wood%E2%80%99s-staircase-and-exedra-in-jubilee-park-undergoing-restoration