Victorian Visions

What is Victorian Gothic?

Many Victorian architects found inspiration in earlier medieval architecture.

Victorian Gothic architecture is also known as neo-Gothic and Gothic Revival. It is just that - reusing and reviving architectural styles from the past.

The neo-Gothic style was at its peak when the Town Hall was being designed and built. This style makes reference to the medieval period which had its roots in high church iconography and the monarchy. It looks back with nostalgia to the pre-industrial period.

There are typical features of this style which you can look out for: pointed arches, steeply pitched rooves, bold stone forms, and interior design which is patterned and multi-coloured.

William Crossland

Architect William Henry Crossland combined neo-Gothic style with something new.

Around the time the Town Hall was designed, a shift was happening towards a new movement, called Arts and Crafts. This emphasized folk iconography and the natural environment. It also had links with social reform and so was a good fit with Rochdale and the Co-operative movement.

Influenced by this movement, Crossland’s designs had a greater degree of lightness than many other neo-Gothic buildings of the time. The Town Hall is regarded by Pevsner as one of the finest municipal buildings in the country. It remains Crossland’s masterpiece.