Building record 15001 - Waterloo House, Waterloo Road, Runcorn

<1> Jardine Consultancy Services Ltd, 2019, Heritage Assessment and Planning Statement: Waterloo House and the Carnegie Library, Egerton Street, Runcorn., R4356 (Client Report). SCH8765.

Waterloo House is a large, geometric building of red brick, with its main façade fronting onto Waterloo Road. It was built in the late 1830's by Charles Hazlehurst, a local soap and alkali manufacturer. It is believed that Runcorn's first free library, opened in 1882, was originally located in Waterloo House, although it is not identified as a library on historic OS mapping until 1899. It was also used as the Town Hall from 1874 to 1933. In circa 1906, a purpose built library, the Carnegie Library (see CHER 15000), was built on a plot immediately adjacent to Waterloo House. The rear range of the Carnegie Library was built on to Waterloo House and the original east external wall of the house subsequently became an internal wall. At this time Waterloo House was used as the Town Hall and direct access was provided from the hall into the library via a doorway in this wall. Later, in the early mid-twentieth century, some of the ground floor rooms of Waterloo House's rear range were opened up into one large room and subsumed into the library.

The above information is taken from a heritage assessment, produced in 2019, in support of planned works to the Grade II Listed Carnegie Library, as a result of the proposed demolition of the neighbouring, and partly adjoining, Waterloo House. Documentary sources have been investigated, supported by a site inspection.

<2> Runcorn & District Historical Society, 2020, Waterloo House, 16/01/2020 (Unpublished Report). SCH8842.

Waterloo House is a substantial late Georgian merchant’s house built in the late 1830s for Charles Hazlehurst, a local soap and alkali manufacturer and member of one Runcorn’s principal business families. He was also a generous benefactor and active participant in the running of the town. Built of red brick, Waterloo House is a double-fronted house of six bays, with a wide central door over which there is a segmental light. Hazlehurst was a prominent Methodist and the sober character of the building is entirely in keeping with this. Waterloo House dates from the earliest stages of Runcorn’s industrial development and is prominently sited close to the River Mersey on the corner of Waterloo Road and Egerton Street. It was built in what was at the time a semi-rural location, on a large plot of land that had belonged to Philip Whiteway, a shipbuilder and shipping merchant who lived at the neighbouring Grove House. The garden, now lost, was designed in 1860 by the noted Victorian landscape architect Edward Kemp. On Kemp’s plan is shown the house, with the main entrance on the west side, and a garden door to the north. To the south there was a yard with access to Egerton Street. The ground is described as almost level; but higher by two or three feet than Waterloo Road, the road leading from Runcorn Ferry.

Charles Hazlehurst moved to Halton Grange in 1872 and sold the house in 1874 to the Runcorn Improvement Commissioners who had originally intended to convert it into an infectious diseases hospital. In 1883 Waterloo House was converted from residential to use as Runcorn’s town hall, free public library and reading room. The architect of the conversion is thought to be James Wilding, surveyor and water engineer to the Runcorn Urban District Council. The opening ceremony on 7 November 1883 included a procession from the former town hall and library in Bridge Street to the new premises, Waterloo House.

By 1896 Runcorn Library housed around 8,000 books, two reading rooms (one for ladies) and had a separate entrance on Egerton Street. After a bequest of 3,000 books and natural history specimens of British birds and animals the library was extended to house the collection. It was opened by Sir John Brunner on 26 October 1898. The architect was James Wilding. When in 1902 more library and reading room space was urgently needed, the Runcorn Free Library Committee applied to Andrew Carnegie to fund the extension. Carnegie refused as he believed the income of the Library Committee would not support larger premises. An amended successful application was made and Carnegie gifted £3,000 in November 1904 to erect a new library building (CHER 15001). At a Runcorn Urban District Council meeting in 1905 it was decided to use Carnegie’s grant to carry out the library alteration and extension which was completed in 1906. Walls were removed from the book store and lending department to create one room. The east exterior wall of Waterloo House formed an interior wall of the Carnegie Library, both buildings housing the library. Again, the architect was James Wilding. The Carnegie Library was opened on 1 December 1906 by Mr. Daniel Bisbrown, J.P., Chairman of the Runcorn Urban District Council. Waterloo House served as Runcorn Town Hall until 1932. The building was subsequently used as offices by Cheshire County Council and as a community centre. In 2012 Waterloo House and the Carnegie Library closed when Runcorn Library was moved from Egerton Street to the former market hall on Granville Street.

<3> Save Britain's Heritage, 2019?, Save Britain's Heritage (Web Site). SCH8840.

In 2015, both Waterloo House and the adjoining Carnegie Library were added to the 'Buildings at Risk Register' and registered with the 'SAVE Britain's Heritage' organisation, as a result of the threat of demolition of Waterloo House and alteration to the Carnegie Library. The description for Waterloo House on the Save Britain's Heritage website includes the following information.

Waterloo House is a handsome and substantial late Georgian merchant’s house. It was subsequently converted to use as the Runcorn’s Town Hall and is likely to have accommodated the town's original lending library. It is a local landmark, with evidential, social and historical value.

Architecturally, Waterloo House is an imposing and once handsome double-fronted house of six bays, with a wide central door over which there is a segmental light. Built of red brick, it is prominently sited on a corner plot on a gentle rise in the land. When originally constructed in the early 1830s, it would have stood on relatively open ground at the centre of the growing settlement which was in the process of passing from a semi-rural community into a bustling industrial town.

Its restrained architectural character should not obscure the fact that this is a notable building dating from the earliest stages of Runcorn’s industrial development and was constructed for a member of one of the leading business families of the town, the Hazlehursts. Charles Hazlehurst was a member of the family soap manufacturing business as well as being a prominent Methodist and active participant in the running of the town. Sold by Charles Hazlehurst in 1872, it was purchased for the offices of the Improvement Commissioners (the precursors of the Town Council), of which Charles was a member. The gothic-styled Technical Institute (now demolished) was constructed on land immediately to the north and then the Carnegie Library was built, in 1906, on remaining land to the east. These were both civic projects and presumably built on land already owned by the Commissioners. Waterloo House served as Runcorn’s Town Hall until 1933 and remains in public ownership today. It has inevitably experienced various adaptations over this period of time but its exterior still retains a distinctive and elegant appearance.

<4> Kathryn Sather & Associates, 2020, Carnegie Library, Runcorn: Heritage Statement, R4451 (Client Report). SCH8913.

A further Heritage Statement produced in 2020 for the Carnegie Library, Runcorn, in support of an application for alterations to the library associated with the development of adjacent land for residential purposes. The proposals include the demolition of Waterloo House which adjoins the Carnegie Library.