Designing the Rochdale Carpet

Commissioned by Rochdale Town Hall

I designed five intricate illustrations that have been etched onto natural stone slabs and laid as centrepieces in the new Town Hall Square in Rochdale. Known as the Rochdale Carpet, this area spans the area between the Cenotaph memorial gardens to the Town Hall entrance.

Each of the five illustrations represent a theme inspired by the interior decor, history, and memories of Rochdale Town Hall. It was my challenge to translate the memories, imagery and stories locked within the building and transport them outdoors for all to see. The Rochdale Carpet is like the Town Hall’s doormat – as soon as you cross the threshold the interior speaks for itself, but it’s nice to have a bit of a teaser outside to welcome you in.

Industry & Craftsmanship

World Connections

A Working Town Hall

A Great Hall

The Future

A full description of each of the designs sits at the bottom of this page, but here’s some more background information before you get there…

I’ve always admired Rochdale Town Hall. Its imposing Victorian Gothic exterior is breathtaking and its interior is a feast for the eyes. Every wall, ceiling, nook and cranny exquisitely decorated with imagery inspired by heraldry, flora, fauna, fables and the town’s Victorian industrial prowess.

“The Town Hall has appeared in many of my Rochdale illustrations. Its detailed exterior has always fascinated me and for years I’ve relished the challenge of capturing it my pen drawings.”

I’ve always been interested in history, especially social history. Rochdale’s industrial heritage is a real story of passion, struggle, hardship, resilience, and fortune. The Town Hall was very much built on the back of all of that. It’s like the crop from Rochdale’s industrial harvest. An old tree that still stands today. And it’s that mysterious, old, and slightly ghostly concept that has always captured my attention and imagination as an artist.

“Look closely and you will see that the layout of the paving mimics the warp and weft of woven cloth.”

It was early summer 2022 when I was approached by Rochdale Town Hall about the project. My challenge was to create five illustrations inspired by the interior decor, history, and civic significance of Rochdale Town Hall. Each design would feature in the new paved area directly outside the front entrance of the building.

This area is called ‘The Rochdale Carpet’. Look closely and you will see that the layout of the paving mimics the warp and weft of woven cloth. It’s a carpet made of stone, and my designs punctuate each run of thread like decorative squares of an embroidered quilt.

I worked with community groups and volunteers to explore their knowledge and memories of Rochdale Town Hall. I also carried out my own extensive research into the symbols and motifs.

“Being able to explore the interior decor panel by panel, window by window and untangling secrets along the way was a real adventure in history and design.”

I combined everything from my research and community group insights to construct the five designs.

About the design

Industry & Craftsmanship

Representing Rochdale’s industrial strength, its coat of arms and how the two came to be represented in the Town Hall decor.

A fleece is suspended from a millrind by torse. Beneath the fleece is a woolpack.

Two martlets fly above. Martlets can be found in the decor throughout the Town Hall. It is a mythical bird without feet that is born in flight and never stops to land until its death fall. In the Rochdale coat of arms, the martlets originate from the Dearden family who acquired the Rochdale Manor in 1823 (now the site of the Cenotaph). The martlet represents a plucky attitude towards life where acheivements are gained through self- driven actions, and not a birth-given right.

A cotton plant weaves its way around and the design.

Painting, construction and architecture tools sit at the bottom of the design – representing the Town Hall’s creators and how they translated Rochdale’s vision of itself into the decor and architecture we see today.

About the design

World Connections

The Town Hall’s decor showcases Rochdale’s view of itself in the arena of global commerce. The town’s trade in raw materials and textiles created a fertile environment for immigration and movement of people.

A docked trading ship sits at the centre of the image atop the parallels and meridians of a globe. A roll of cloth sits at the bottom of the image from which two vines of flora grow: one a cotton plant, featured heavily throughout the Town Hall’s decor; the other a grapevine, harder to find but still featured inside, it’s the perfect representation for fertility, cultivation and growth of the town, even today. The design is flanked by two large vases featuring teasels.

About the design

A Working Town Hall

This design aims to represent the Town Hall’s use as a working environment. Of course, the decor in the building does little to represent the events that unfolded following its opening (that would be spooky – the designers were good, but they weren’t psychic!). This design upcycles areas of existing decor combined with new imagery to represent this later period in the Town Hall’s story.

The design depicts the events of the clock tower fire. Although the true cause of this fire was never determined, in this design we can see that it seems to be the dragon who is to blame. St George and his dragon featured on the spire of the original tower. In this design, St George plays the role of the brave ‘fire bobby’. He wears a victorian firefighter’s helmet and carries a pair of police shackles on his belt. He represents the fire and police service who were based at the Town Hall. The dragon’s tail points to the metal goblet that was forged from the molten remains of the original tower’s bell. Books and documents fall from the sky to the right of the tower. At the tower’s base was the original library and town-clerk offices. Many documents were lost in the fire, despite the efforts of brave officers and town hall workers who entered the burning building to rescue them.

The rose that grows around the design is taken from the former Magistrate’s Court.

About the design

A Great Hall

The Great Hall is perhaps one of the most jaw-dropping spaces within the Town Hall. It is a place of kings and queens but intended for the people of Rochdale. This design aims to symbolise the people’s memory of the Great Hall.

Two of the Great Hall angels flank the organ that sits at the centre of the design. Dances, brass bands, singing
and music have been the centre of many gatherings in
this hall so have become the soul of this design.

Flora from the Great Hall’s incredible wall decor is growing around and into the design, holding a teapot and teacup (representing tea dances) at the top of the artwork.

Two wedding rings are also visible.

The hall’s regal designs are represented by a lion guardant.

About the design

The Future

This design takes most of its imagery from the Mayor’s Parlour. It represents the ideals of a greener future, whilst also pushing the Rochdale ideals (showcased in the Town Hall) of a people working together, forever forward-thinking.

The roots of the flowers are a network representing technology and innovation.

The oak tree is deeply rooted in design’s roundel – a symbol of strength and wisdom, harking back to Rochdale’s long heritage of achievement.

The river Roch flows at the bottom of the image, and
in it strides a heron – now a common sight in the Town Centre. Herons were believed to be a symbol of guardianship and restful contemplation (now known as ‘mental wellbeing’). The bird’s chicks call to it from the nest. New life, the next generation.

Of course, the river would not be complete without a fish. During the heavy industrial period, fish disappeared from the Roch, but now they are back. A true contrast to the original era of the creation of the Town Hall’s decor, and so in its sense, futuristic.

I am so proud to have been able to create something that will sit firmly in the next chapter of Rochdale Town Hall’s decorative history. To be another artist on the list of many who have contributed to this exquisitely decorated and breathtaking place. I’d like to thank the team at Rochdale Town Hall for inviting me to lead the design on this project. It’s not often you’re given free rein to let your creativity explore and flourish, but they did it, and what an absolute joy it was.

The project was delivered by Rochdale Development Agency on behalf of Rochdale Borough Council, and funded by the Council and National Lottery Heritage Fund.

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