Dewsbury Pioneer Industrial Society. september 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

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

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

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.

Cheers,

Sal

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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

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

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

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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

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

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.

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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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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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.

very nice, love the pics.

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: