Widows' Almshouses, Welsh Row, Nantwich: founded after the death of his wife and two sons within the space of a year, by Roger Wilbraham in 1676 when 'six widows took their lodging in the said almshouse; two in each house (for society)'. The charity continued into the 1930s.

Queens Drive, Nantwich - housing built by Nantwich Urban District Council from the mid-1950s.

This is a great account for anyone interested in modern architectural history ...

The 'Creation Window' (1985) by Michael Farrar-Bell, St Mary's, Nantwich. The lower six panels depict pastoral Cheshire; the Genesis account of creation above; Halley's Comet appears top right as it did in 1985. It commemorates Albert Bourne, a local farmer. #StainedGlassSunday

Nantwich Civic Hall, built by Nantwich Urban District Council to mark the 1951 Festival of Britain; designed by Council Engineer and Surveyor, EH Bailey.

Tarporley, Cheshire: police station designed in Tudor style in 1909 alongside an '1865 former fire station (one of the earliest volunteer fire brigade stations in the country) and 1869 hearse house, forming a small and unique group of civic buildings' according to its Grade II listing.

My post on the origins and designs of the Pepys Estate, Lewisham - a Greater London Council showpiece commended by the Civic Trust for its 'impeccable design'. (Photograph Tony Ray-Jones, 1970 © RIBA Collections) municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-pepys-...

I can't recommend this highly enough.

Honeywall House, Southern Court, Penkhull Court; eight- and ten-storey tower blocks built by Stoke-on-Trent County City Council in the 1960s.

This one's more niche but will appeal to some: Hanley Telephone Exchange, Ministry of Building and Works, 1975.

The Stoke School of Science and Art, London Road; built as a memorial to Herbert Minton (of the prestigious local pottery family); designed c1853 by Murray and Pugin. The art school relocated in 1965 and the building has been used as offices since.

Stoke Library, London Road, designed by Charles Lynam as a library and Shakespeare Institute, 'opened for the free use of the Burgesses, Nov 7th 1879'. Grade II-listed and awaiting re-use.

Hanley Town Hall: originally the Queen's Hotel, designed by Robert Scrivener in the Renaissance style in 1869. It was re-opened as the town hall in 1886 but became local offices when the new Borough of Stoke-upon-Trent was created in 1910. Closed since 2020 and awaiting re-use.

1/ I'm going to post a few images from a brief visit to Stoke today, starting appropriately (though no elections in Stoke this year) with Stoke Town Hall - built in three phases from 1834, after 1850, extended 1910. It became the main town hall of the federated six towns in 1910.

A quick heads-up for anyone in and around Holmfirth, West Yorks, next Wednesday, 13th May, I'll be talking on 'Some Lessons from the History of Council Housing' to the EcoHolmes Community Land Trust. Details below. It would be nice to see you if you're around: ecoholmes.org.uk/muncipal-dre...

ca.1968 Official Guide to Newcastle upon Tyne evoking the spirit of the "Brasília of the North". The city's bold post-war construction will forever be linked with the name T. Dan Smith; echoes of "Our Friends in the North". @municipaldreams.bsky.social @c20society.bsky.social ↘️ flic.kr/p/2sbqN3t

🚨 New on Substack, the first of three posts charting the story of the Pepys Estate in Lewisham municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-pepys-...

Love (and a nice big house) Conquers All in this wonderful carved window lintel, dated 1929, on the former offices of the Northwich Building Society (now Nationwide) in Northwich.

Everyone needs one of these ...

Little Moreton Hall, near Congleton, Cheshire; built 1504-1610. Not sure it would meet current building regs.

Does anyone have an answer - positive or negative - to this?

Another fine (and inspiring) piece by John Boughton. His book Municipal Dreams is the best book on council housing history and was used by us widely in our 2019 Homes for Heroes 100 project.

When local Government had real contested ideas .. Mr Cooney would be confsed by modern Local Government's servie . Proper Labour manifesto for 1934 Bye Election in West Ward on Bradford City Council #Bradford @municipaldreams.bsky.social @efrogwraig.bsky.social @redstarneil.bsky.social

My post on the London County Council's Patronage of the Arts Scheme - between 1956 and 1964, over 70 works of art were placed on estates and schools across the capital: municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-lcc-an...

1/ 🧵 The Festival of Britain opened this day in 1951 - according to its official guide a 'united act of national reassessment, and [a] corporate reaffirmation of faith in the nation’s future’.

1/ 🧵 The Festival of Britain opened this day in 1951 - according to its official guide a 'united act of national reassessment, and [a] corporate reaffirmation of faith in the nation’s future’.

My post on the London County Council's Patronage of the Arts Scheme - between 1956 and 1964, over 70 works of art were placed on estates and schools across the capital: municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-lcc-an...

Good morning from Cheshire.

I'm here today, my first time. Just a flying visit unfortunately.

🚨 My new post on Substack tells the story of the London County Council's ‘Patronage of the Arts’ Scheme that installed over 70 works of art in schools and housing estates across the capital. municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-lcc-an...

Maybe not your usual celebration of May Day but a real demonstration of what a progressive Labour council could achieve for its people - a Bermondsey Metropolitan Borough council float from the 1930s.

A lovely review of the Farmstead Road housing scheme on the Bellingham Estate in Lewisham for #PhoenixCommunityHousing by #Metropolitanworkshop which won our award for Healthy Homes last week www.ribaj.com/buildings/fa...

🚨 My new post on Substack tells the story of the London County Council's ‘Patronage of the Arts’ Scheme that installed over 70 works of art in schools and housing estates across the capital. municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-lcc-an...

New rules to stop new council homes being sold off for 35 years (after being built, I think) will "help restore fairness to the system for locals," the Housing Sec has announced. After consulting on changes last year, Steve Reed has confirmed that the Labour Govt will reform the Right to Buy scheme

This is a very interesting thread on wartime and postwar hopes for a better and fairer Britain to emerge from the shared experience of war ...

🚨 New on BBC2: 'Set against the postwar period of debt, austerity and rationing, the 1951 Festival of Britain showed how to carve out a bright new future through design and ingenuity' ... www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b...

You can discover the world on our maps website 🌎 If you'd like guidance on searching, comparing, printing, and annotating over 400,000 maps, book your place now for our free 'Navigating the Maps Website' webinar. 📆 3-4pm, Wednesday 29 April 📌 Free Book > www.nls.uk/whats-on/nav... #MapMonday

Wisteria and council housing

Mursell Estate, Lambeth - built by the London County Council between 1963-66, showing Hampson Way, Dovet Court (project architect William Jacoby) and 22-storey Rundell Tower.

'By the provision of concert halls, modern libraries, theatres and suitable civic centres, we desire to assure to our people full access to the great heritage of culture in this nation' - a look at the post-war Open Air Sculpture Exhibitions of the LCC. municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-lcc-an...

'By the provision of concert halls, modern libraries, theatres and suitable civic centres, we desire to assure to our people full access to the great heritage of culture in this nation' - a look at the post-war Open Air Sculpture Exhibitions of the LCC. municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-lcc-an...

🚨 New on Substack: my first post on the London County Council and the Arts looks at the open-air exhibitions which reflected the post-war aspiration for a democratic and shared civic culture. municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-lcc-an...

🚨 New on Substack: my first post on the London County Council and the Arts looks at the open-air exhibitions which reflected the post-war aspiration for a democratic and shared civic culture. municipaldreams.substack.com/p/the-lcc-an...

St Owen Gate, Hereford; part of a scheme of 21 houses completed by Hereford City Council in 1902. The Council built 67 more houses before 1914. (my thanks to Mike Rix for image and detail.) Added to my map of council housing built before the First World War. www.google.com/maps/d/edit?...

This is good to see. One thing I like about the newer editions of the VCH is that they give good coverage of council housing.

Thanks to everyone who has replied to this post with examples, memories and detail. It's a more common design than I thought.

Interesting council house design in Bedford - part of a terrace of single family homes with two 'front' doors. I assume the one of the left gave access to a service area - good for muddy boots, bikes, etc. - unless you know better. Tayler and Green did something similar in south Norfolk.

Holland Rise House and Edrich House, completed 1966 - two of eight blocks designed by George Finch for the London Borough of Lambeth adapting the Wates Large Panel System of construction with a distinctive dentilated profile.

My latest Substack post explores the complicated early politics of local government and the fine town halls of Stepney: municipaldreams.substack.com/p/stepneys-e...

1/ Pleased to see this @c20cymru.bsky.social event on 16 May: 'A Day of Sidney Colwyn Foulkes, the Reluctant Modernist'. Amongst much else, he designed some of my favourite council housing: secure.c20society.org.uk/Default.aspx...