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History of Onchan
Modern Onchan Picture Gallery

Just click on a photograph to open a large version. - Modern Onchan

Pennington Hall

Pennington Hall was built in a corner of Onchan Park in 1953-54 as the Royal Avenue Institute. It was designed by R.H. Cain, a local architect and provided accommodation for the recreation group who had previously met in two huts at the top of Belgravia Road. It was named Pennington Hall after Mrs Pennington who gave generously towards the cost of its construction.

The main hall had a parquet floor for dancing and in the forward section was the toilet facilities, kitchen and snooker room. The main hall was also used for whist drives and later bingo sessions.

The commissioners owned the land to the side and rear of the hall and in 1959 they erected a garage for their tractor in that location. This was later doubled in width as storage for more equipment was needed. The triangular grass plot to the rear then became an open depot when the last of the private bungalows in the park was built and the area was effectively fenced off.

In 1972 Pennington Hall was purchased by Partingtons the television and radio firm who used it as their all island repair workshop. In the meantime the commissioners had purchased a former commercial garage at the top end of Marion Road. This had been built around the same time as Pennington Hall and was finished in the same sand/lime bricks. It was originally intended to be a petrol filling station as well; the petrol tank was installed and a concrete canopy projected out over the location for the pumps. A licence to sell petrol was never granted so it remained a mechanical workshop garage only.

Eventually Pennington Hall was purchased by the commissioners and became the main depot for the Parks Department. The Marion Road Garage was subsequently demolished to make way for the Marion Court development of local authority housing.

Work started on the demolition of Pennington Hall on Thursday 19th July. The building is to be replaced by a steel framed structure which will embody the tractor garage into the main complex with mechanical workshop, staff facilities and storage. A lean-to shelter at the rear will house the motor boats in the winter months.

The demolition by J.C.K. only took a couple of days to complete and now the site awaits the start of construction by contractors Parkinson. In the background are the rear of properties in Alberta Drive and beyond are the red roofs of houses in Royal Avenue. On the skyline behind them is the top of the spire of St Peter's Church.

Following demolition of Pennington Hall part of the Parks Department depot is revealed. The greenhouse is used to bring on plants in the springtime. The tree in the centre of the site is a specimen tree which is to remain and will not be affected by the building works.

This photograph shows the foundation trenches dug for part of the new Pennington Hall depot. In the background are private bungalows which face onto The Park.

Another view of the site shows the commissioners' greenhouse which is now on a higher level due to overall excavation of the site. Concrete bays are being laid in the background to form a working platform. New fencing has been erected to the north and east of the site.

By mid September the block work had been built up from the deep set foundations and brought up to finished floor level. In the foreground to the right is a plastic hose used in pumping out the excavations prior to concrete and block work. In the background can be seen the shuttering work running across the site into which concrete will be poured to form a low wall. This will be part of a lean to building in which the motorboats will be kept during the winter period.

By the beginning of October the base to the new boat shelter was cast in concrete as can be seen in the foreground with the holding down bolts for the steel frame showing above the surface.

The boat shelter was originally to be a lean-to at the rear of the main building to take advantage of the rear wall and shelter from the prevailing wind but a decision was taken to construct it as a stand alone building.

The main building is also awaiting the arrival of a steel frame and pockets have been left in the block work for the uprights to be lowered into. This view is taken from within the site and is looking towards Marion Court, the commissioners' housing complex built at the top of
Marion Road and behind The Park bungalows.

Behind the hoarding can be seen a large plastic tank which is known as an interceptor. It will sit beneath the surface of the new concrete yard with all the rainwater drains passing through it. The object is to collect any solid matter washed off vehicles so that it doesn't make its way through the storm water drains which end up as the stream through Port Jack Glen.

On Monday 8th October a crane moved onto the site to erect the steel framework. The picture shows the framework being erected for the boat store behind the main building. The work is being carried out by steel fabricators Wilson and Collins of Balthane.

Both Percy Wilson and Des Collins originally worked at Gellings Foundry on South Quay and when they set up in business in the mid 60s, they started the business in Onchan at Tromode in a building belonging to Clucas' Laundry.

Work has continued with the erection of steelwork on the main building at the front. This will have staff facilities at one end and a workshop at the other. The space in-between will house the tractors, grass cutters and other equipment. The peak on the front of the building is a decorative feature in the form of a gablet to break up the elevation. There will be mezzanine storage above the staff accommodation and workshop but the rest of the building is single storey.

FEBRUARY 2008

The main building takes shape with the finishing touches being put to the roof. The ventilator on the roof is purely for decoration. The walls are partly finished in buff coloured facing brick and the remainder in white spar dash to match the domestic properties in the area.

MARCH 2008

By the end of the month the hoardings were down and work started in front of the building on paving and the creation of a parking lay-by. This elevation faces the side of Marion Court and the top of Marion Road. In the distance a ready mix concrete lorry discharges its load as the driveway into the rear courtyard is created.

A view taken from the other end of the front elevation showing the feature panels in the centre section to simulate garage door openings but these are all located at the rear of the building taking access from the courtyard. Also showing on the front elevation either side of the double windows are the white plastic expansion strips which are used in modern day construction to avoid cracking. In pre-war building lime mortar was used to allow for movement in the structure without cracking.

In the yard a free standing boat shelter has been erected to accommodate the motorboats from the lake during the winter months. This was originally intended to be a lean-to stricture on the rear of the main building from which it would derive shelter from the prevailing winds. This steel framed structure has been finished with a tiled roof to match the main building and the gables are tile hung. The contract does not include any form of cladding to the walls.

View of the rear of the main building showing the courtyard that is being created between it and the boat shelter. The roof lights on the main building are not to an upper floor but to the interior of the building which extends up to the apex of the roof. The maximum height of vehicle which can enter the building is governed by the vertical rolling doors on the rear elevation. On the right the two windows are to the toilet and wash facilities for the parks staff.

The two roller doors are the access for the tractors and other vehicles. The double doors to the left of the picture give access to the compressor which produces compressed air for the workshop whilst the single door next to it is the fuel store.

A view inside the building showing the full height building with rear roof lights and overhead industrial lighting. At the end of the building is the access to the staff mess facilities above which lightweight storage can take place. The high open space section is intended for the overnight parking of tractors, sit-on mowers and the pick-up trucks used by the parks staff.

A view inside the mechanic's workshop shows some of the benching around the room. The workshop is at the opposite end of the building to the mess facilities and is near to Royal Avenue. The fencing visible through the rear windows has been erected as a boundary between the rear yard and the properties in Alberta Drive backing onto the compound.

History of Onchan Modern Onchan Picture Gallery

Just click on a photograph to open a large version. - Modern Onchan

Pennington Hall

History of Onchan
Modern Onchan Picture Gallery