The Old Fire Station

Details

TARPORLEY

1035/0/10001 PARK ROAD 22-SEP-06 The Old Fire Station

II Former volunteer fire brigade station, 1865, established by 11th Earl of Haddington, red brick, pitched slate roof, cast-iron bell, timber plank sliding doors.

Plan: One room plan on E-W axis, toilet added to NE corner c.1939

Exterior: Red brick, pitched slate roof, slate ridge copings, ridge stack to E gable end, cast-iron bell on mount fixed to E gable end. Main front (S) elevation facing Park Road and W side elevation with English Garden Wall Bond brickwork, plain E elevation. Large central brick-arched double doorway with sandstone keystone, original timber plank sliding doors, small coal shaft door set into wall to E of building connecting fire station to adjacent hearse house, leads down into small coal store beneath warming range that feeds chimney. Rear (N) elevation with single horizontal sliding sash window (each sash divided into 8 panes) set towards E end. Iron bars on inside of window.

Interior: Full-height ceiling open to timber king post truss roof. E end with no king post truss has central range, chimney breast above, hatch to coal store beneath range. Drain in centre of floor. Door to NE corner leads into toilet added c.1939 following regulations brought in by WWII, which stipulated fire stations had to be manned and provided with telephone, siren and toilet facilities.

HISTORY: Tarporley Old Fire Station was the home of what is believed to be one of the earliest volunteer fire brigades in the country, founded c.1865 by the 11th Earl of Haddington, and which served a large area of central Cheshire. Built on land donated by the Earl (the owner of nearby Ardene Hall) for community use, the Old Fire Station was constructed in 1865 in preparation for the brigade's first engine (a Shand Mason London Brigade horse drawn manual engine), which arrived in February 1866. In 1938/9 a toilet, siren and telephone line were installed following regulations brought in by the onset of WWII, and in 1957 the fire station moved to a new site on the High Street, which could accommodate modern F8 fire vehicles. Subsequently the station moved to new purpose-built premises in 1997. Following the 1957 move to High Street the original fire station was used as a store and later officially opened as a museum supported by the Cheshire fire and rescue service in c.2001. The museum is now set up with equipment dating to c.1914 (the most documented and recorded period) and houses an engine brought in from Peplow identical to that which was used at Tarporley. The original Tarporley engine has been lost.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: Tarporley old fire station dating to 1865 represents significant historical interest as one of the earliest volunteer fire brigade stations in the country. Established by the 11th Earl of Haddington the horse-drawn fire brigade originally served much of Cheshire, attending village, estate and mill fires, sourcing water from ditches, wells and ponds near the station and en route to fires until mains water reached Tarporley in 1892. Following which hydrants were introduced. The old fire station is a rare and unique survival of a simply designed very early fire station that still survives intact. Consisting of a single room where the Shand Mason engine and equipment were stored and drill nights were carried out; a range, which was used to prevent mildew, dry equipment, and for the comfort of the firemen; and a toilet installed c.1939 following World War II regulations, the old fire station is an important physical reminder of primitive fire-fighting in more rural areas before the introduction of modern fire vehicles. The building also has strong group value with the adjacent former police station and hearse house, forming an interesting civic group built on land in the village centre specifically donated in the C19 for the purposes of community use by the 11th Earl of Haddington.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

495721

Legacy System:

LBS

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