Edgar Wood Society
The Edgar Wood Society is an enthusiastic group of people who enjoy Arts & Crafts buildings and craft work . The Society is dedicated to the restoration and re-use of the Arts & Crafts Church Church and promoting the work of Edgar Wood and his contemporaries. We host an annual programme of events, workshops and visits to places of interest. Members can get involved in all sorts of ways, including a research group which regularly comes up with new discoveries.
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Dear Alison,
Nice to hear from you. The story of the Independent Labour Club is that it belonged to Rochdale Council and was used as a family and children centre. In 2011/12, it was restored to its former glory by the Council as part of its commitment to the Edgar Wood buildings which it owns. However, this went awry when the Council was forced to sell it owing to the government’s austerity cutbacks. In new ownership, it was left vacant and attacked by vandals. We were worried that we might lose it. Planning permission and listed building consent were then put in for conversion to flats. This meant the loss of the historic interior but was effectively the only option to save the building. The conversion was done but unauthorised upvc windows and other alterations held up its completion. However, it is now finished and I believe occupied. The building is the only listed ILP club in the country.
The story of Durnford Street School is similar in that, following the demolition of the main school in 2002, the remaining listed Infant School was restored by Rochdale Council and used as an adult education centre. However, it too had to be sold around 2013 owing to austerity and it likewise became vandalised in new ownership. The problems, however, were much worse at the school and it is now in a dreadful state, see this video here…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsUCuUfYqKA
If you would like any photos of these buildings just email me on edgarwoodsociety@gmail.com
Did you know that we now have a separate website? See https://edgarwoodsociety.org/
We would love to have you onboard.
Best wishes,
David
Hi I have been interested in Edgar Wood’s work when I discovered he designed the Independent Labour Club on Milton Street and as i teach art & design.
Has any work been done on the Club to make sure its retained as orgional as possible? I know it was sold and now seems to be flats the square space at the back which became the playground when it was a nursery was a bowling green originally.
I also noticed that you havent listed Durnford Street School in picture form on the web site.I know Henry Sellers and Wood designed that as they did for Elm Street.
I live in Oxford so cant get to meetings but would be interested in helping maintain your work . on Wood.
Dear Brian,
Sorry about the late reply. Yes please! That would be wonderful. Please could you send it to edgarwoodsociety@gmail.com ?
We haven’t studied this particular building in great detail so the picture will no doubt be very useful.
Best wishes and thank you,
David
I have an early photograph (a side by side stereoscopic slide) taken around 1908 of the Gate House at Low Hills, Lindley, Huddersfield. Would the Society be interested in my sending a digital copy to you. It has a little girl with a hoop. She is my Ant Winifred Jury. The photo was taken by Walter Jury her Father who could have been an acquaintance of Edgar Wood.
Hi Declan,
Sorry for the delay in getting back. Edgar Wood was enthusiastic about design and architecture and in the late 1880s and early 1890s he ran classes across what is now Greater Manchester. This showed him to be someone with a hands-on and practical approach. He seems to have moved towards lecturing in the 1890s, though he was not an avid lecturer or article writer like some of his contemporaries. He expressed himself mainly through his designs and personally with colleagues and other artists and architects.
We know of eleven lectures from 1891 to 1922 but we only know what Edgar said in detail for just three 1900, 1911 and 1912. The subjects he covered were practical and artistic.
David
Hi, has anyone come across any of Woods lectures he gave? Thanks
Do you have any more dates planned for screening A Painter Veil please