Town Hall
TOWN HALL, MARKET PLACE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1184149
- Date first listed:
- 26-Aug-1983
- List Entry Name:
- Town Hall
- Statutory Address:
- TOWN HALL, MARKET PLACE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2000-07-07
- Reference:
- IOE01/00917/06
- Rights:
- © Mr John Ulrick. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1184149
- Date first listed:
- 26-Aug-1983
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 06-May-1988
- List Entry Name:
- Town Hall
- Statutory Address 1:
- TOWN HALL, MARKET PLACE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- TOWN HALL, MARKET PLACE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Wakefield (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SE 27890 20470
Details
SE22SE OSSETT MARKET PLACE (north end)
3/29 Town Hall (formerly 26.8.83 listed as Town Hall, Kingsway).
- II
Town Hall. Dated 1906-8. Built at a cost of £23,000. Coursed, pitch-faced stone with ashlar dressings and details. Welsh slate roof. 2 storeys. Classical. A symmetrical facade of 3+2+2+2+3 bays in an ABCBA rhythm. Bays A and C break forward slightly. Central round-arched portal with recessed door and 'Art Nouveau' iron gates. The portal is flanked by caryatids supporting foliated brackets which along with the arch keystone carry a small 1st-floor balcony. The caryatid bases are inscribed with the foundation date and date of opening. (1906 and 1908). The arch spandrels are elaborately carved with cartouches which bear the date AD and "1907". Bays A are framed by rusticated pilaster buttresses which become paired Ionic pilasters at lst-floor level. Similar pilasters frame bay C, 1st floor. Ten square- headed ground-floor windows with rusticated surround. Twelve round-arched 1st-floor windows with ornamental spandrels framed and separated by Ionic pilasters. Moulded sill bands. Moulded cornice and decorated frieze between floors. Frieze and moulded eaves cornice. Surmounting bay C is a round gable with octagonal flanking buttresses and central tapering finial. A central roundel has relief carvings depicting the local industries: a hanging ram, a wheatsheaf, a mill and a coal mine, and an inscription: "INUTILE UTILE EX ARTE". Bays A are surmounted by similar but larger gables which both have a central oculus supported by relief carvings of fire-breathing, crouching dragons and with a grotesque mask below. Central clock tower in 2 stages surmounted by an octagonal cupola with domed lead roof. The 1st stage has paired round-arched openings. The second stage has a clock face to each side with a cornice swept over. Symmetrically placed ornamental ashlar stacks. The left return of 7 bays and right return of 5 bays, are similarly treated but more plain. At the rear the public hall is a contemporary addition treated more plainly with its gable front to the left return. It has a 3- storey symmetrical front of 5 bays in an ABA arrangement framed and separated by strips. The centre 3 bays break forward slightly and are pedimented and the tympanum has a cartouche with the date 1907 supported by foliage. Central portico with colonnettes supporting a pediment with "PUBLIC HALL" in raised letters. Six high-level round-arched windows to left return of the hall (ie rear of building). Interior: mosaic entrance hall, tiled hallway. Dado of glazed tiling. Stucco garlands to the frieze. Stair with 'Art Nouveau' ironwork. Stair window with stained glass dated 1907. The council chamber, now offices, has a panelled ceiling and stucco decoration. Interior of public hall has unsupported horseshoe gallery with stucco decoration to front of cartouches with rinceau support. Ornamental frieze and panelled ceiling. Panelled wooden dado. Late C20 proscenium. The hall was designed to seat 800 people.
The excellent standard of ashlar work is noteworthy. Important town centre site.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 342522
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 12-Jun-2026 at 15:39:09.
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