Workmen’s Dwellings Medlock Street and Weston Street Holt Town Ancoats

WORKMEN’S DWELLINGS: NEW EXPERIMENT IN ANCOATS - The contract for the erection of the first block of the houses to be erected by the Manchester and Salford Workmen's Dwellings Company Limited has been let to Messrs Neill & Sons of Strangeways at a price which, after making proper allowance for the peculiarity of the site, is slightly undr the estimate originally prepared by the company's architect, and building operations are to begin on Monday next. This first experimental venture is only on a small scale, and will consist of twenty-four ordinary dwellings and one lodging house. After much consideration, the promoters have determined, although at some disadvantage to themselves in other respects, to go into a district where their efforts will be likely to be appreciated. The selected site is a plot of land at Holt Town in Ancoats bounded on three sides by Medlock-street, Weston-street, and Cyrus-street, having Medlock-street and Cyrus-street as frontages, there will remain as open space for playground and drying ground a depth of about 55 feet between the backs of the houses, which is nearly twice the amount of space the promoter calculated on being able to afford for those purposes. This increased open area, although very advantageous in itself, will necessarily increase the amount of ground rent to be paid, but it is hoped that it will not add materially, if at all, to the weekly rent of 2s. 6d. which it has from the first been proposed to charge for each tenement. It is expected that the buildings will be completed and ready for occupation during the present year, seeing that they are so simple to construct.... The architect of the company is Mr Lawrence Booth FRIBA. (The "Pail" system of sanitation was finally adopted although the provision of water closets was hotly debated).

The contract for the erection of the first blocks of the intended dwellings for the Manchester and Salford Workmen's Dwellings Company, Limited, has been let to Messrs Robert Neill and Sons, of Strangeways, at a price slightly under the original estimate of the company's architect, and building operations were commenced on Monday. This experimental venture is only on a small scale, and will consist of 21 ordinary dwellings and one lodging‑house. The selected site is a plot of land at Holt Town, in Ancoats, bounded on three sides by Medlock‑street, Weston‑street, and Cyrus‑street. There will be an open space for playground and drying‑ground, having a depth of about 55feet between the backs of houses. The weekly rent proposed to be charged for each tenement is about 2s 6d. It is expected that the buildings will be completed ready for occupation during the present year. The company proposed to adopt the water‑closet system, but after consultation with the medical officer of health and city surveyor, have agreed to introduce the pail system.  [Building News 19 August 1881 p250]

Reference    Manchester City News 15 July 1881 Page 1 and 23 July 1881 Page 8 - contracts - (Invitation to tender for several blocks of dwellings)
Reference    Manchester City News 13 August 1881 Page 6 Column 1
Reference    Building News 19 August 1881 p250
Reference    Builder 8 December 1883 Page 747