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Sankey Street, WARRINGTON, WA1 1RH

If you ever have half an hour between train connections at Warrington Bank Quay, it is well worth having a quick wander through the grid of streets opposite the main entrance to the station. This area of Warrington was obviously once the important bit; 'Inland Revenue' and 'County Court' are inscribed above the doorways of similar grand red-brick buildings nearby. The area now gets called the 'Cultural Quarter' - by the local council and other marketing departments at least. The big building on the left, beyond the Chinese restaurant, was once the main post office and is now home to a 'hotel', which seems to be more of a short-term self-catering apartment block, as every room comes with its own kitchenette. Deuce Hotels, who have recently taken over the place, describe it as having 'dark glamour and regal sophistication throughout', which is pretty good enticing blurb I reckon! The building at the end of the street (which is lit up more than normal due to it being Christmas) is now partly occupied by a restaurant. It was built as a technical school and then had something to do with finance. Both buildings were built around 1900 and are Grade II listed.

A tiny second-hand record shop has managed to survive the harsh realities of High Street retail in Warrington for over two years now.

The Gateway is an independent charity providing a central focus for 25+ local voluntary and statutory organisations and services to come and work together to help people in the local community. It provides a focal point for the voluntary sector, providing access to advice, support, information and opportunities for lifelong learning. At the heart of the building is a converted newspaper printing works built in 1875. Following a reconstruction in 1972-1974, Warrington Housing Association purchased the building in 2002. It offers a conference space, meeting rooms, offices to rent, PC suites and a café. http://www.thegateway.org.uk/

The Gateway is an independent charity providing a central focus for 25+ local voluntary and statutory organisations and services to come and work together to help people in the local community. It provides a focal point for the voluntary sector, providing access to advice, support, information and opportunities for lifelong learning. At the heart of the building is a converted newspaper printing works built in 1875. Following a reconstruction in 1972-1974, Warrington Housing Association purchased the building in 2002. It offers a conference space, meeting rooms, offices to rent, PC suites and a café. http://www.thegateway.org.uk/

The Gateway is an independent charity providing a central focus for 25+ local voluntary and statutory organisations and services to come and work together to help people in the local community. It provides a focal point for the voluntary sector, providing access to advice, support, information and opportunities for lifelong learning. At the heart of the building is a converted newspaper printing works built in 1875. Following a reconstruction in 1972-1974, Warrington Housing Association purchased the building in 2002. It offers a conference space, meeting rooms, offices to rent, PC suites and a café. http://www.thegateway.org.uk/

The gates were made in cast iron by the Coalbrookdale Company at Ironbridge in the early 1860's. They were offered as a gift to Warrington Borough Council by Frederick Monks, a member of the council, in 1893. They were formally opened on 28 June 1895. On each side of the gates is an ornate screen which contains four columns, on top of which is a statue of Nike, the goddess of victory. In the centre of the archway over the gate are the arms of Warrington Borough Council.

When the Corporation purchased Bank Hall and its gardens they were surrounded by a high wall. This meant that Town Hall and the newly created public park could not be seen from Sankey Street until the 1890s when the wall was replaced by railings including these magnificent gates. The cast iron gates were made at Ironbridge by the Coalbrookdale Company for showing at the International Exhibition in London in 1862 and are said to be amongst the finest in England. It is believed that they were originally commissioned as a gift for Queen Victoria, to be used at Sandringham. She declined them and they were returned to Coalbrookdale where they stayed from 1863 to 1893 until Mr Frederick Monks, a member of the council, saw them on one of his many visits to Ironbridge as a director of the Monks Hall Foundry. He donated them to the council and, after being formally opened on Walking Day on 28 June 1895, they have graced the Sankey Street frontage to the town hall and Bank Park ever since (http://www.warrington.gov.uk/info/200798/local_history_and_heritage/51/history_of_the_town_hall_and_golden_gates/4 The Famous Golden Gates, Warrington Borough Council). On each side of the gates, there is an ornate screen containing four columns. On top of each column is a statue of Nike, the goddess of victory. In the centre of the archway over the gate are the arms of Warrington Borough Council. The gates, which are 16.5 metres wide and measure 7.6 metres to the top of the central arch, are listed Grade II* along with the piers and associated lamps (http://list.english-heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1261277 National Heritage List for England). The rest of the railings and a fine ornamental fountain, erected immediately behind the gates in 1899, were removed in 1942 to provide iron to help the war effort. Fortunately, the same fate did not befall these gates.

For an alternative view, please see Image