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Gower Street, OLDHAM, OL1 3UB

Built in 1938 to house the growing municipal bus fleet when the trams were being replaced, and now operated by First Group. The building to the right houses modern offices, but stands on the site of the original electric tram depot. This view has only recently become available with the demolition of buildings on the plot in the foreground.

A listed building at Mumps

The Grade II listed former bank https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1201682?section=official-list-entry at Mumps dates from 1902. The bank, originally the Manchester and County, was created by renowned Manchester architects Mills & Murgatroyd. It featured a unique baroque copper-crowned tower and a polished red granite base. Inside, the banking hall housed a 50ft mahogany counter. The bank was taken over by NatWest in 1970. In 1995 it was closed when NatWest merged their Mumps and Yorkshire Street branches. It was put on the market for £170,000. Plans the following year to turn the building into a pub fell through. Several later refurbishment plans have also failed. The building is a focal point within the bus/metrolink tram interchange.

The bank has now been closed for several years and the building remains disused and boarded up at ground floor level, although the "For sale" banner has gone. In November 2014 Oldham Council announced a masterplan for the regeneration of this area. This included turning this building into apartments "with café/bars and leisure". This might not be good news for the nearby Yorkshire Street, which is looking pretty run down, although it still has an amazing number of pubs and bars which might not survive further competition. Part of the regeneration included a new Marks & Spencer store which was hoped to open in 2017. However in November 2016 they withdrew. Photographs from a few years ago (not on this site) show pleasant grassed areas including one directly outside the former bank. These have been removed and in front of the building is now a bus stop parking bay and a road.

Next to the Metrolink tram stop at Mumps are several bus stops. On the left is the Grade II listed former NatWest bank https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1201682?section=official-list-entry Image

This is where the new alignment through the town centre rejoins the current line along the old railway. All the rail is on hand to create the new layout, and just a single point has been installed to allow test-running trams to be moved onto the new section in advance.

This is a beautiful building which I understand was formerly the NatWest Bank. I believe it is Grade II listed. Let's hope it will find new owners who can reverse the dilapidation that is setting in. I've seen cathedrals that are inferior to this.