All Projects

Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum

Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum

  • Clients:

    Rochdale Borough Council

  • Locations:

    Rochdale, Greater Manchester

  • Architects:

    OMI Architects

  • Cragg Duties:

    Activity Plan

    Interpretation and Exhibition Design Plan

  • Photos by

    David Dixon and Gerald England

Project Details:

CM provided the Interpretation, Exhibition and Activity Plans for Greater Manchester Fire Service Museums’ successful round 2 application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Our work responded to the Museum’s project vision of ‘the creation of an outward and forward-looking fire service museum, making the best use of a historic building and a broad collection that leads the field in interpretation and activities.’ The project focused on the heritage of the former fire station on Maclure road, and the history of fire fighting in Greater Manchester.

The collections and Exhibition relate to the history of fire fighting in Greater Manchester. The collections and displays reflect a compelling social history of how people lived and the dangers they faced in everyday life, as well as developments in technology and engineering, and how those changed the fire brigade.

The project will open up the former fire station building to the public. The fire station is a significant heritage asset in its own right, as a rare surviving example of a large-scale between-the-wars urban residential fire station. Many of the original features are intact, including the 115ft hose tower.

Funding:

  • The National Lottery Heritage Fund