1926 - Walker Building, Oakengates, Telford, Shropshire - Dated Buildings and Cornerstones on Waymarking.com

The Walker Institute (Walker Technical College) is a neo-classical building which was built in 1926 on Hartsbridge Road, in Oakengates. It opened in 1927, and became the county centre for mining engineering, and its wide range of courses included those for the Ordinary and Higher National Certificates in mechanical engineering. Student numbers increased more than tenfold between 1927 and 1962.
Extensions to the college in the late 1930s and after 1945 failed to keep pace with increases in student numbers, and in 1962 the engineering, science, and mining departments moved into new buildings in Wellington. The Oakengates building accommodated the college's commerce and general studies department until 1972 and its courses for unemployed young people from 1979. Oakengates Teachers' Development Centre was located there from 1968 and Wolverhampton Day Teachers' College had an outpost there for mature students 1969-77.

It was targeted by arsonists in October 2014, and was saved only by the efforts of almost 40 firefighters. As it is not listed and does not lie in a conservation area, it could so easily have been demolished without planning permission.

The building, formerly the home of Telford College of Arts and Technology, now looks set to be converted into 14 apartments, with an indoor gym and swimming pool, after multi-million pound plans were recommended for approval by Telford & Wrekin Council.

Year of construction: 1926 Full inscription: THE WALKER INSTITVTE 1926 Cross-listed waymark: Not listed

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