Coroner’s Court, London Road, Manchester
As originally proposed the London Road Fire Station was to incorporate a branch lending and reference library and gymnasium on the London Road frontage. During early construction these areas were re-allocated to provide a Coroner’s Court and Gas Meter Testing Station. Although the Fire Station closed in 1988, the coroner’s court continued in operation until 1998.
CORONER’S COURT, MANCHESTER. - The Coroner’s Court is part of the building recently erected by the Manchester Corporation to provide central quarters for the city fire brigade, etc. The provision of a coroner's court was not in the original building scheme of the corporation, and consequently may not be as ideal as it otherwise might have been. The entrance to the court is from London Road, and consists of court ‑room 33 feet by 24 feet, by 23 feet high; jury and doctor's retiring‑room, coroner's private room, general staff office, with waiting rooms, etc. The court, which is 11 feet below the street, is approached through the general waiting room at the same level, and being at the back of the building, is removed from the noisy traffic of London Road. The coroner's room, general office, and gallery are on the ground floor level. The whole of the joinery is in canary wood stained and varnished: above the panelling the walls are plastered and finished in a warm-coloured ”Duresco”, * while the ceiling and frieze are finished in a light cream colour. The court is lighted by three large windows overlooking the drill‑yard of the fire‑station, being filled in with simple leaded lights having enriched panels, the centre panel having the city arms, while the other two contain figures representing Truth and Justice. The building is warmed and ventilated on the “Plenum” system. The architects were Messrs Woodhouse, Willoughby, and Langham, 100, King Street, Manchester. The entire fire and police‑station, of which this Coroner's Court forms a portion, was illustrated by a double‑page perspective in our issue of May 26. 1905. [Building News 8 March 1907 page 343]
Reference Building News 8 March 1907 page 343 and illustration
* Washable water-based paint for plaster, manufactured by J B Orr and Company