Plans have been submitted to transform the former County Galleries into a high-end furniture showroom for renowned Lake District craftsmen The Rusland Movement.
The Grade II-listed building on Railway Street, which housed Altrincham's oldest art gallery for over 45 years before closing in 2023, would showcase handcrafted artisan furniture if planning permission is approved.
Blue Support Services Ltd has submitted applications for both planning permission and listed building consent to convert the ground floor and basement of the distinctive Edwardian building into a showroom for The Rusland Movement, a furniture company based in Backbarrow near Windermere.
The proposals include a series of restoration works designed to sympathetically preserve the building's architectural heritage while creating a functional retail space.
The plans emphasise restoring the building closer to its original aesthetic, reversing decades of alterations that have covered many of the property's historic features.
Key restoration elements include uncovering and restoring the original wooden parquet flooring, cleaning and displaying the original mosaic floor tiles, revealing the original wall tiles that have been hidden behind later additions, retaining the historic banking desk in its current position, and removing non-original security shutters while replacing windows with heritage-style double glazing.
"The proposed showroom will display handcrafted, high-quality furniture, in accordance with the building's recent retail function," states the planning application.
"Careful attention will be given to retaining key historical elements while adapting the interior layout to create a functional and inviting display space."
The Rusland Movement was founded by cabinet maker Dan Critchley, who drew inspiration from the Arts & Crafts Movement after visiting historic Arts and Crafts house Blackwell. Based at the edge of the English Lake District, the company has built a reputation for producing furniture of the finest quality using traditional methods.
The company operates from bespoke workshop and studio premises in Backbarrow and creates a range of furniture including kitchens, bespoke pieces and smaller furnishings. All pieces are original designs that start life in their design studio, with every step of construction overseen by hand.
The Rusland Movement emphasises traditional craftsmanship and natural materials, drawing on the Lake District's rich heritage of artisan makers, writers and artists.
County Galleries closed in 2023 after more than four decades as Altrincham's leading art gallery.
Owned by Chris and Rachel Underwood, the gallery once sold works by renowned artists including L.S. Lowry and Sir William Russell Flint, as well as pieces by emerging artists.
The building itself dates to around 1900 and originally housed the County Bank before later becoming the NatWest Bank. The Gothic Revival structure features distinctive architectural elements including carved stonework, grotesques, large mullion and transom windows, and semi-octagonal pilaster strips.
The interior retains many original banking hall features, including a coffered ceiling supported by fluted pilasters with carved quatrefoil decoration, cream glazed tiles with fleur-de-lys relief work, and the original basement vault with its historic money lift mechanism.
The building, which stands opposite Altrincham Hospital, is also located within The Downs Conservation Area.
