Conservative & Liberal Clubs

Denton Clubs
Both clubs are situated on Manchester Rd, close to Crown Point, and they are of Accrington brick construction. The Lancashire company that manufactures Accrington Nori bricks ('iron' spelt backwards) was founded in 1887 and both buildings are early examples of the use of this type of brick. The bricks were manufactured from a deposit of clay (known as 'red shale') and the quarry is located in the hills just to the north of the Lancashire town of Accrington. Accrington bricks are renowned for their quality, hardness, strength and durability.

Accrington Nori Brick.

Manufactured by the Accrington Brick & Tile Co Ltd.

Conservative Club on the corner of Gould St
The foundation stone of the club was laid on the 14 Nov 1891 by Sir Ernest Frederic George Hatch 1st Baronet KBE (19 Apr 1859-17 Aug 1927) of London. On the 13 Jul 1895 he was elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Gorton Constituency. He was a Member of Parliament until 12 Jan 1906 but towards the end of his parliamentary career he crossed the floor of the house to become a Liberal. In 1892, the club was opened by Sir William Henry Houldsworth, MP for Reddish. The architect was Thomas Davenport Lindley of Ashton-under-Lyne and it cost about £2,300 to build. By 1894 it had 350 members.

Ernest Frederic George Hatch.

The building has Dutch (or Flemish) gables on the Manchester Rd and Gould St sides, each having a brick moulding bearing the date, AD 1891, flanked by ball-style finials. The windows have Yorkshire stone lintels and cills. It contains a large assembly room on the first floor as well as having billiard, reading and other facilities.

Conservative Club, Mar 2008.

Liberal Club on the corner of Bowden St
This was built in 1894 at a cost of nearly £3,000, the architect being Joseph Lindley of Hyde. The walls are relieved by stone dressings and the windows have stone cills. It contains a large assembly room as well as billiard, reading and other facilities.

Liberal Club, Mar 2008.

Haughton Green Conservative Club
This club stands on the corner of Haughton Green Rd and Bowker Ave. It was founded in 1887 on the site of a smithy.

Left: Haughton Green Conservative Club, early 20th century.
Right: Haughton Green Conservative Club, Sep 2008.