Gloucester House, Urmston
Location/Address
17 Station Rd, Urmston, Manchester M41 9JS
Type
Description
Built in 1880 as both a family home and doctors practice Gloucester House is a large two storied red brick house, with half-timbered features and many interesting decorative adornments including especially tall stylist chimney blocks and a mock coats of arms. At one time Gloucester House also had grounds and outbuildings - the latter are now gone and the overall site around the building is quite compact.
The position of the house on the corner of Station Road and Gloucester Road dominates this part of Urmston. The house is immediately visible on entering this part of the town centre enhancing is visual importance. As such this striking property is of great importance to the character of this part of Urmston town centre.
Finally, from its construction as a family doctor's house and practice in the late nineteenth century, up to June 2021 when it closed as a medical centre, this property has been in continual use serving the local community as a local medical facility. Many generations of local people have associations with the building in one way or another. It is therefore hard to deny that in terms of its striking quality, commanding location and vital community connections this building is a strong contender for local, if not national listing.
Statement of Significance
Asset type
This is a large Victorian house of high quality built in an interesting style with many unique architectural features. The property is in an important and commanding location at the heart of this part of Urmston town centre. Although now closed as a medical facility and with an uncertain/unclear future this is a high quality building with strong connections and resonance with the local community.Age
Approx 1880Architectural and Artistic Interest
A large three storey Victorian house which was purposely constructed as a family doctor's premises, and which is sited at the junction of two important roads at the heart of Urmston town centre. The style of the house is in part mock Tudor with several Gothic features, including black and white front timbering and impressive tall distinctive chimney stacks, some of which bear mock a mock coat of arms. The house has many other interesting decorative features in the brickwork on two frontages. Additionally the roof of the house has small spire type finishes in metalwork. The house also appears to have retained much of the original glazing, some of which is in stained glass. Entrance doors may also be original.Historic Interest
The Practice website records that one of the early most memorable doctors was Dr Walter Furlong Mayne M.R.C.S (Eng) L.S.A. F.R.C.P. (Edinburgh). Dr Mayne was born in Middlesex in 1854 and qualified as a doctor in 1881. Although the date of his arrival in Urmston is not known, the growth of the town and its increasing wealth made a doctor’s practice not only a necessity, but also a viable business - medical treatment having to be paid for at this time. Dr Mayne remained at the practice for almost 50 years, leaving the area in 1927. Along with other local doctors, Dr Mayne worked to establish Urmston Cottage Hospital on Greenfield Avenue. The accommodation originally included; two entertaining rooms, waiting and consulting rooms, six bedrooms, domestic offices and cellars. The substantial outbuildings were made up of a garage, two horse stables and a harness room. The decorative wrought Iron gates and wall railings were removed for their metal content during World War II and only the gates have been replaced. The stables and coach house at the rear of Gloucester House were eventually removed to make way for parking. After Dr Mayne, the house has been occupied by a series of family doctors, and lastly was known as the Gloucester House Medical Centre. In June 2021 the NHS Trafford Clinical Commissioning Group announced the closure of the medical centre and the transfer of patients to other GP's in the area. As a result the building has sadly been lost as a medical facility and has now become redundant. It understood that the building is now in private ownership and might be repurposed into apartments. However at the date of writing (Sept 2021) the building is in an increasingly poor state and will require considerable work to repair and renovate.Landmark Status
Its high quality, location and community useage make this a landmark building in Urmston town centreImages and Documents
Date Listed
01 Apr 2023
Last Updated
15 Sep 2021
Find Out More
Find out more about this Asset in Greater Manchester Local Heritage List:
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/greater-manchester/asset/4941
https://local-heritage-list.org.uk/greater-manchester/asset/4941