# Dewsbury Pioneer Industrial Society. september 2008



## silverstealth (Sep 19, 2008)

This place is epic.

The Pioneer Building 

In 1863, twenty years after the Rochdale Pioneers opened their co-operative, the North of England Co-operative Society was launched by 300 individual co-ops across Yorkshire and Lancashire. By 1872, it had become known as the Co-operative Wholesale Society (CWS). 

Northgate's Pioneer building was originally built to house the Dewsbury Co-op society, then known as the Pioneers' Industrial Society. The hall seated over 1000 people, and later became the Pioneer Theatre and then the Pot Black snooker hall. 

The impressive building was designed by Holtom and Fox architects, and built in 1872. 

Henry Holtom was a prolific architect. Born in Stratford in the 1840s, he moved to Dewsbury in his early 20s. He became a member of Dewsbury town council, serving All Saints' ward for three years in 1871, and in 1883 he was elected mayor. 

During the 1880s his apprentice George Fox was made partner, and together the pair designed Dewsbury town hall, which was completed in 1889 for £40,000. As well as the Pioneer building and the town hall, Henry designed churches, schools and houses. 

The building features a fantastic potts clock with a bell tower above.

http://silverstealth.fotopic.net/c1580101.html


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## silverstealth (Sep 19, 2008)




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## King Al (Sep 19, 2008)

Beautiful building that, the detail on the clock is great realy like the tiles on the stairs, Holtom spent a lot of time on this place. Good stuff SS


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## urbtography (Sep 19, 2008)

That clock machinery is amazing just amazing, i hope someone decides to save it!!! Beautiful architecture as well, beautiful colours on the stairs.


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## smileysal (Sep 19, 2008)

ooooooooooooooooooh I love this, love all those tiles on the stairs, and all the stained glass windows, and what look like oak panels. I can't believe a beautiful building such as this, can just be left in this state. I know we say that of many places we find and explore, but it's just shocking. 

Excellent pics mate, I really, really do love this one.

Cheers,

 Sal


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## silverstealth (Sep 19, 2008)

smileysal said:


> ooooooooooooooooooh I love this, love all those tiles on the stairs, and all the stained glass windows, and what look like oak panels. I can't believe a beautiful building such as this, can just be left in this state. I know we say that of many places we find and explore, but it's just shocking.
> 
> Excellent pics mate, I really, really do love this one.
> 
> ...



Thanks sal, it certainly ticks all the boxes with me, the tiles, stained glass with the potts clock, speaking of potts clocks this is a absolutlely gorgeous example of a working one.. 

http://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/main/showthread.php?p=71838#post71838


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## mcl (Sep 19, 2008)

Superb photos of a beautiful building - just as I remember it. What is going to happen with the building - not to be demolished ,I hope


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## silverstealth (Sep 19, 2008)

mcl said:


> Superb photos of a beautiful building - just as I remember it. What is going to happen with the building - not to be demolished ,I hope



this is the latest news..

Town Centre Pioneer Work Begins In Earnest 

Work was officially launched this week September 2008, on the £12 million restoration of Dewsbury’s run-down Pioneer House. 

The landmark former Co-operative building in Northgate is to be converted into an impressive apartments and retail complex. 

Coun Ken Sims, Kirklees Council’s Cabinet member for regeneration, was in Dewsbury this week to see workmen move in. 

The re-development, by the London-based Stayton Group, will create shops on the ground floor and 95 apartments on the upper floors. 

Building work is expected to take 18 months to complete. 

The metal hoarding were put up around the building last week and work crews moved in on Monday. Stayton is also the company behind the proposed £150 million regeneration of Dewsbury town centre. 

The centrepiece of the company’s plans is a futuristic domed shopping complex off Westgate and Daisy Hill. 

A spokesman for Stayton said the new Pioneer House would bring some “significant” retailers into the town centre. 

And he pledged that a number of the apartments would be reserved for “key workers from the local hospitals and emergency services.” 

Mr Robert Stayton, managing director of the Stayton Group, welcomed the start of work and said: “This is the end of a very frustrating wait for us and the beginning of our plans to regenerate the centre of Dewsbury. 

“We are very conscious that the town has been waiting to see something happen to Pioneer House for a long time now but our hands have been tied until planning permission was granted. 

“I hope Pioneer House will now act as a beacon for the development of the town. 

“Everyone in Dewsbury has heard a lot of talk about what is going to happen to the town but I hope that now they can see something happening at Pioneer House the whole town can begin to believe that the redevelopment will happen and Dewsbury will again be a place to be proud of.” 

Coun Sims said he was pleased work had started quickly after planning permission was granted and added: “The regeneration of Dewsbury is a top priority for the council’s Cabinet. 

“The Pioneer House proposal is a major component to get that regeneration up and running and it is one which we fully support.” 
The Intelligent Weekly


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## LittleMike (Sep 19, 2008)

Mmm well nice. Reminds me a lot of York Road Library in Leeds, only not completely fucked up


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## Foxylady (Sep 19, 2008)

smileysal said:


> I can't believe a beautiful building such as this, can just be left in this state. I know we say that of many places we find and explore, but it's just shocking.



That was exactly my first thought, Sal. That beautiful stained glass and plasterwork left to be trashed and crumble. So many lovely details in there that it's hard to pick out a favourite. Great report, silverstealth.


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## MD (Sep 19, 2008)

great report mate 
id love to see this it ticks all the boxes for me stained glass and great tiles
and the clock is spot on too.
cheers


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## freebird (Sep 19, 2008)

Excellent report as always. What beautiful grand architecture. I would love to see this building if I can, it really is impressive!


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## OSPA (Sep 19, 2008)

Fantastic site, really exciting to see all those original features still there. the inside looks like something out of a film set or something! You've captured it really well, you've documented it and got some really nice images too, nice one!


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## BigLoada (Sep 19, 2008)

Yeah man that is awesome. Everything about it is ace. Those tiles on the staircase in particular and the stained glass. And the CWS totally rock, I love em


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## PROJ3CTM4YH3M (Sep 20, 2008)

Stunning pictures mate this place looks huge! jealous of your camera!!


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## tarboat (Sep 20, 2008)

I looked at this and my emotions were the same as many of the other posters. How could such a beautiful building be allowed to come to this. The tiles are wonderful, the coloured glass - lovely. I do sincerely hope that it can be saved and past glories recreated. Thanks so much for posting.


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## Sabtr (Sep 20, 2008)

An amazing building. Hats off to those who took so much pride in their work. Absolutely fabulous detail - I really hope that when it is restored they keep as much of the original interior as possible. It would be a crime not to.

The stone work on the outside is very good too. It has survived quite well. I recognise some of the staircase tiles from when I visited some tile museums at Ironbridge earlier this year.

Great stuff and some excellent shots. Thanks for posting.


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## silverstealth (Sep 23, 2008)

tarboat said:


> I looked at this and my emotions were the same as many of the other posters. How could such a beautiful building be allowed to come to this. The tiles are wonderful, the coloured glass - lovely. I do sincerely hope that it can be saved and past glories recreated. Thanks so much for posting.




Here is a few more from this sunday. It really is an exceptional place, all the original minute books going back to the 1800's are lying around in a heap with the rubbish.


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## DJhooker (Sep 24, 2008)

very nice, love the pics.


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## Lightbuoy (Sep 24, 2008)

Another top drawer report in me own opinion 

Those bells are lovely -were ya tempted to knock out a little tune -a bit of Mike Oldfield perhaps? 

Thanks for sharing. The history is facinating.

Lb:jimlad:


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## silverstealth (Sep 24, 2008)

Lightbuoy said:


> Another top drawer report in me own opinion
> 
> Those bells are lovely -were ya tempted to knock out a little tune -a bit of Mike Oldfield perhaps?
> 
> ...



I did ease back one of the hammers and drew a small note, your right about them being lovely, its such a waste. Someone has removed the clock handles in the 2 weeks..


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## Columbia (Mar 11, 2010)

Sadly, the promised restoration and renovation of the Pioneer building has never happened. Stayton moved in and did a lot of demolition work but didn't bother to board up the windows, leaving the interior at the mercy of the elements. They were also caught bringing lorryloads of rubbish to dump in the grounds, behind their barriers. There is so much fighting between the council, who want to compulsorily purchase the building to restore it, and Stayton, who still insist that the work will be done. And in the meantime, this beautiful building continues to rot away while they carry on slagging each other off in the local papers. I grew up in Dewsbury and moved back here eleven years ago because I love this town, and it makes me so sad to look at these pictures and see this fantastic building falling apart.


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## Lightbuoy (Mar 11, 2010)

Thanks for the update Columbia -agreed, tragic waste of a building -always a problem when it gets "political"


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## procath (Mar 11, 2010)

top photos, nicely composed and great detail!


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## Faing (Mar 11, 2010)

thems some good pictures, i been to dewsbry before and was impresed by lotso f old stuff, my friend who lives there teld me that dewsbruy was made rich by the wooltrade and we was going to go to the piece hall but i rrun out of time and had to come home, is the peicehall still there iwonder? it is a lovely town all the same, thank you for a great reserched and put together report the stained glass panes is a shame that they is being damamged though and the feel of the qaualirty of yheplace does show up well in your pictures


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