NHER 28932 (Building record) - Town Hall

Town Hall

1887. Beneath town hall at foot of grand staircase.
'An old landing place or draw dock found' in underpinning.
See (S1).
E. Rose (NLA), 16 April 1992.

August 1974. Listed, Grade II*.
Listing Description excerpt:
"Town hall. 1882. By JB Pearce after a competition. Red brick laid in Flemish bond and with terracotta details and sandstone dressings. Slate roofs. Built round a narrow courtyard. Queen Anne style.
EXTERIOR: Two storeys rising to three in the tower. Asymmetrical entrance front to the north-west. Seven-window range. Rusticated ground floor and string courses between the floors...A tower, square on plan, rises through two storeys to an ogeed lantern: open round arches over clock faces; glazed lantern. The south-west facade faces the river: symmetrical; eight bays plus closing bays right and left...Garlanded parapet and central segmental pediment. Hipped roofs with flat.
INTERIOR: the entrance hall has pairs of panelled baluster piers on high plinths alternating with single piers running down the centre and attached as pilasters to the walls. Modified Ionic capitals. An Imperial staircase rises to the east...The whole of the west side of the first floor is given over to a ceremonial hall of nine by three bays, the bays divided by fluted pilasters. The north wall has paired fluted columns and pilasters, the south wall has Corinthian columns set in front of pilasters. Heavy modillion cornice with leaf-trail decoration and deep coving below a barrel-vaulted roof with eared and shouldered raised panels. The south-east corner of the first floor was used until 1990 as a magistrates court with a complete set of fittings from 1882...The council chamber has a canopy at the west end and a gallery at the east end."
Information from (S2).
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S2) for the current listing details.
P. Watkins (HES), 12 March 2022.

County number extended to take in all of Town Hall. Stands on site of hall of 1715 with huge Greek portico. Present buiding 1882 by J. B. Pearce; red brick and sandstone and terracotta in 'Queen Anne style'. Contains a magistrates court with complete set of furnishings from 1882. 1998 listed building grade II*.
See (S3).
E. Rose (NLA), 28 April 1999.

June 2008.
Proposed careful demolition and rebuilding of chimneys and ornamental south gables.
See (S4) for further information
H. White (NLA) 25 November 2008

July 2008.
Clock face and movement restored.
See (S5)
H. White (NLA) 15 December 2008

December 2008.
Proposed replacement of access lader in clockroom leading to belfry and the installation of air bricks and trickle vents.
See (S6) for further information,
H.White (NLA) 15 January 2009

February 2010.
Proposal to install lead overflow pipes above each box gully.
See (S7) for further details,
H. White, (NLA), 21 April 2010