Site
Parish Hall
From the Alnwick Mercury, 11th May, 1912
The row of dwelling houses on Painter Hill is in process of demolition. Upon the site there is to be erected for the Duke of Northumberland a Parish Hall or Church Institute in connection with St Michael’s Church from plans prepared by Mr W. H. Knowles, F.S.A. Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The new parish hall is destined to replace the present Guild Rooms opposite the church gates, and will be used for all parochial functions. The gatherings of the Men’s Guild, the Women’s Working Party, the Mothers’ Union, the Ruridecanal meetings, lectures, etc. will all be held under the roof of the new building, a little to the north-west of the ancient church, it has a front elevation to Canongate. It is to be a one-storey building, with ground and first floors, and a red-tiled roof in keeping with the surrounding new properties in the immediate neighbourhood.
As one looks at the plan of the building, the left half has a gabled front. It contains the main entrance. To the left is to be a tablet in the wall bearing the dedicatory inscription. The greater part of the length of the building (on the right, as viewed by the spectator) will consist of a large hall. There is to be a platform within it, located against the gable next to the Church. An ante-room with a platform entrance will be erected at the same end of the building.
The hall will be 44 feet long, and 26 feet wide. Entrance will be obtained by the front door and passage. On the left of the latter will be arranged a large classroom 23 feet long by 18 feet wide, with lavatories, staircase, men’s cloak room, crockery cupboard, store, sink, and other conveniences, also boiler house and coals below. Overhead will be a kitchen, scullery, large room pantry, store and linen cupboard, bath, etc. for the caretaker. From the front door a corridor will lead straight through to a spacious billiard room at the rear, 28 feet long by 18 feet wide, with large lantern roof light.
(Ruridecanal = relating to a Rural Dean)
Newcastle Chronicle 11th Nov 1913
NEW PARISH HALL To be Opened at Alnwick tomorrow. The beautiful new parish hall. which has been built at the junction of Canongate and Walkergate at Alnwick in memory of the late Duke of Northumberland, by his two sons. the present Duke of Northumberland and Lord Algernon Percy, is to formally opened to-morrow by Lord Percy. A general invitation has been issued to Church people to be present at the ceremony. The following is a description of the parish hall:— The new building is an elegant structure with a commodious hall, having an area of 44 feet by 26 feet and about 20 feet in height, intended to used for classes. meetings, lectures:, and entertainments. At the southern end a platform is erected, reached by three steps. The walls up to the window sill are panelled with polished correo pine, and at the north end a store has been arranged. The hall is splendidly lighted and heated. There are six large traceried windows, three on either side. Two smaller windows on the front side and large window near the roof in the south gable. The principal entrance facing Canongate is by two large half doors of polished oak, and the vestibule with tiled floor leads straight to the billiard room, which is 28ft by 18ft. wide and 11 feet high. It is lighted by one large window in the eastern wall and a large centre light in the roof. There are also ladies' and gentlemen's cloak rooms in the vestibule, and a class room immediately opposite to the door of the large hall, 33 feet by 16 feet wide. and 10 feet in height and in a good aired recess a copper boiler has been fixed capable of making teas for 150 people in the short space of nine minutes. At the other end of the large hall there is an ante room 11 feet 6 in, by 14 feet and 10 feet in height, which is entered by an oak door. Two bedrooms, a sitting room, kitchen, and bath are provided for the caretaker. The entire building is heated throughout with hot water pipes laid in trenches under the floors. There are three entrances to the building, one at the north end, one at the south end, and the principal one in the west front, at one side of which is the dedication inscription engraved on a panel inserted in the wall surmounted by heraldic devices of the ducal and Percy arms. A passage way has been made to the building from St. Michael's Churchyard, closely adjoining. The spaces at each side of the carriage way from Canongate have been filled with choice ornamental shrubs by Mr. R Crystal.
The building of the parish hall was entrusted to J. and G. Green, contractors, Warkworth, and was commenced about fourteen months ago: It occupies the site of four tenemented dwellings on Painter Hill, and is built of endurable stone from the famous Denwiek quarries. The sub-contractors are Mr. P. S. Wood, Sea Houses, plastering and slating: Mavens, Adam Robertson and Son. Alnwick, painting and glassing; and Messrs. H. Walker and Sons, Newcastle, hot water heating.