Town Hall
TOWN HALL, HAMILTON SQUARE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1201582
- Date first listed:
- 29-Jul-1950
- List Entry Name:
- Town Hall
- Statutory Address:
- TOWN HALL, HAMILTON SQUARE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2004-03-28
- Reference:
- IOE01/11912/02
- Rights:
- © Mr Anthony Smith. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1201582
- Date first listed:
- 29-Jul-1950
- List Entry Name:
- Town Hall
- Statutory Address 1:
- TOWN HALL, HAMILTON SQUARE
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, HAMILTON SQUARE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Wirral (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SJ 32645 88963
Details
BIRKENHEAD
SJ3388NE HAMILTON SQUARE 789-1/14/78 (South East side) 29/07/50 Town Hall
GV II*
Town Hall. 1883. By C.O.Ellison; restored 1901 by Henry Hartley. Golden ashlar over silver granite basement with Welsh slate roof. Basement storey with 2-storeyed 9-window range over. Central projecting portico of 5 bays carried on projecting basement with staircase at each side with pink marble rail and caps to balusters. Cast-iron lamp standards. Paired doors in centre of this basement, with curved balcony over, carried on heavy console brackets. This is flanked by windows with wrought iron screens, between pilasters. Rusticated basement of main block above has single window with transom each side, and reeded cornice over. Full height Corinthian pilasters frame the outer bays above, with modillion cornice continued round pediment which is carried on two tiers of Corinthian columns. Recessed in the portico, paired doors with rosette panels and low relief frieze in architrave. On the entablature over, high relief figures flank a coat of arms. Oculi over side lights each side of door with swags over and heavy moulding. Windows with transoms in architraves each side, and round-arched windows to second floor. Central tower over main hall rises in 3 stages with rusticated lower stage, pediments over round arched openings to second stage with massive volutes at angles. Blind balustraded plinth to recessed upper stage which carries clock. Sphinxes over this stage, the whole capped by copper dome with finial. Return elevation to Mortimer Street divided into unequal bays of 4, 2, 9 and 3-window ranges, stepped out from west to east. Doorway with "Rates" inscribed over it towards the centre, windows and detailing similar to that of main elevation. Elevation to Brandon Street dissimilar in arrangement, though similar in detail. Divided into unequal bays of 1, 3, 4, 5, and 1 window ranges, with doorway in right-hand bay. This bay is surmounted by a tower with pedimented base and spire concealing cast-iron chimney pipe. (The Buildings of England: Pevsner N and Hubbard E: Cheshire: Harmondsworth: 1971-).
Listing NGR: SJ3264588963
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 389214
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Hubbard, E, The Buildings of England: Cheshire, (1971)
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 04-Jun-2026 at 08:47:04.
Download a full scale map (PDF)© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2026. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
End of official list entry