Historic St Helens Town Hall joins heritage plaque trail

Article date: 13 March 2024

A partnership project between St Helens Borough Council and Rotary St Helens, the heritage trail is a short to medium target of the council's St Helens Borough Heritage Opportunities plan  - a bold and ambitious vision for the borough's heritage over the next ten years.

Each plaque contains a QR code for people to scan with their mobile phone or tablet device to obtain key historic information, with the latest focussing on St Helens Town Hall - a gothic-style building completed in 1876 to replace the original town hall, located in what is now Church Square, which was destroyed by a fire in 1871 - surviving a fire of its own in 1913 to remain the civic heart of the borough.

To commemorate the unveiling, a short ceremony was held outside St Helens Town Hall, attended by council dignitaries including the deputy mayor, Jeanette Banks; members of Rotary St Helens  - and pupils from nearby Holy Cross and Parish primary schools who were then taken on tours of the town hall and heritage trail which takes in key sites such as 'the Hotties - a section of Sankey Canal, England's first canal of the Industrial Revolution; Cannington Shaw Bottle Shop; Parish Church; Quaker Meeting House and the Totally Wicked Stadium, home of St Helens R.F.C.

Councillor Anthony Burns, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Wellbeing, Culture and Heritage said: 

"St Helens borough is built on heritage and has been at the forefront of significant moments throughout British history. From the birthplace of the railway and first modern canal to innovators in glass and pharmaceuticals - and of course, home to one of the most successful rugby league teams in the world. So, it's absolutely right that these achievements should be celebrated and it's exciting to be here as we give St Helens Town Hall the attention and recognition it deserves - a stunning work of art in terms of its structure which symbolises local democracy.

"A big thank you to our friends at Rotary St Helens Rotary who have been tremendous partners in this project.

"By 2030, we want to have achieved national and international recognition for the significance, quality and management of our heritage assets, attractions, and infrastructure - and initiatives like this are a big step forward in the right direction.

Paul Winstanley, joint heritage trail project lead for Rotary St Helens, which celebrates 100 years of supporting the local this year and will be recognised with a King's Award for voluntary services tomorrow [Thursday 14 March]  added: 

"The purpose of the St Helens Heritage Trail is to increase the whole community's awareness of how St Helens became a unique, pioneering and world-leading industrial town on the world stage. It will stir up a sense of identity, self-worth, and hope throughout the borough. It can also serve to benefit our local economy by attracting more visitors and compliment the development of our new town centre over the next few years."

Plaques have, and are due to be installed, in the following locations: The Hotties by the World of Glass Museum; Totally Wicked Stadium; The Gamble Building; Beecham Building; St Helens Town Hall; Central Station; Parish Church; Quaker Meeting House; Cannington Shaw, St Helens and Runcorn Gap Railway - and in the middle of St Helens town centre where heritage and culture will play a key role in once-in-a-lifetime regeneration plans.