HOW do you move a 600-tonnne building down the road?

And why would you need to?

This week we are looking back to 1981 when the old Academy building was moved to its current location on Bridge Foot.

Warrington Guardian:

The work site with the old single lane road

This week, we revealed how plans have been submitted to create 22 apartments in the historic building which dates back to 1745.

At the start of the 1980s, traffic problems meant the section of Bridge Foot near to Bridge Street need to be widened.

The problem was the grade two listed building was in the way.

So engineers came up with a plan to move it 19 metres using a combination of high-pressure grease and floatpads.

The building was the heaviest in Britain to be moved up to that day.

As well as moving the original part of the building, a large extension was built in matching style and brickwork.

Little of the original listed part of the building remained and it became home to the Warrington Guardian until 2016.

Now it is home to apartments.

 

A famous resident of the Academy was Oliver Cromwell.

His statue - which came to the town at the same time as the Golden Gates - was put in storage while the work was carried out.

Warrington Guardian:

And a full ceremony was held when he was put back in his now familiar position in front of the newly located building.

Warrington Guardian: