Old Town Hall

Details

CARLISLE

NY4055NW MARKET PLACE 671-1/12/214 (North side) 01/06/49 Old Town Hall (Formerly Listed as: Town Hall)

GV I

Includes: No.72 SCOTCH STREET. Includes: Nos.1-7 ST ALBANS ROW. Former town hall with shops beneath. 1668-9 (on the site of the medieval town hall), with 1717 and C19 alterations and additions. Painted stucco walls on chamfered plinth, red sandstone eaves cornice and solid parapet. 1717 extension is of red sandstone ashlar with V-jointed quoins (all dressings of calciferous sandstone) and eaves cornice; early C19 extension is of stucco (over brick) with ground-floor pilasters and rusticated ashlar. Graduated greenslate roofs, partly hipped; coped with kneelers on higher early C19 extension, with vents and bellcote on central part and clock tower cupola on 1717 extension. Painted stucco ridge chimney stacks. Central oldest part is 2 storeys, 7 bays; right-angle right 1717 extension of same height has 2 projecting bays on the main facade and a 5-bay return which is No.72 Scotch Street; higher 3-storey single-bay early C19 extension at left; the shops at the rear are Nos 1, 3, 5 & 7 St Albans Row; forms an overall L-shape. Central external serpentine stone steps to upper-floor council chamber (added c1825, replacing C17 steps) of 2 flights and are of red sandstone ashlar with round and squared piers and speared railings; segmental arch under stairs originally gave access to lock up cells; above are double plank doors in stone architrave under a pediment with the city arms and ball finial. Ground floor C19 and C20 shop windows; upper floor sash windows in C19 stone architraves (c1825 replacing cross-mullioned windows). The bell and bellcote are an 1886 replacement after a fire. The right extension has a panel on the main facade giving the city arms, name of Mayor and date of 1717 in Roman numerals; this and the Scotch Street facade have C20 ground-floor shop windows and sash windows in stone architraves above. At the right a segmental through archway gives access from Scotch Street to St Albans Row. Clock tower on this extension is also of 1717, with clock faces on 3 sides (originally with just an hour hand) and ball and weather vane finial. The left extension has C19 ground-floor shop windows; sash windows above, those on the main facade in stone architraves. The rear, facing St Albans Row, has ground-floor casements windows and half glazed doors, restored in 1987 to their 1835 appearance; one upper-floor window, now partly blocked, was re-exposed in 1987 to show this is one of the original 1669 cross-mullioned windows; other half-dormers were added in 1867. INTERIOR: the council chamber has C19 wooden panelling; where the main trusses have been cut away, carved city coats-of-arms have been added; part of the panelled seating survives. Other rooms have ribbed plaster ceilings and C19 panelled doors. HISTORY: The original contract for the Town Hall dated 1668 is in Cumbria County Record Office and an extract from the council minutes for 23 July 1669 shows the work was carried out; in Cumbria County Record Office is a voucher for a model to be made for the new Town Hall in 1716 (Ca/2/3); there are also vouchers for the old and new halls in 1732-3 (Ca/Vouchers/1732-3); a lithograph showing the Town Hall as it appeared in c1780 is in M Nutter (1835); a watercolour of 1788 (Jackson Collection) shows that the left extension did not exist then, but it is shown on an oil painting by William Brown of 1825; there is also a contract for alterations dated 4 May 1825 (Ca/5/1/50). Details of the 1867 alterations are given in Carlisle Journal (1867). Details on the history are given in Trans. CWAAS, NS XC. (Nutter M: Carlisle in the Olden Times: 1853-; Carlisle Journal: 30 April 1867; Jackson Collection: Carlisle Library: A693; Cumb. & West. Antiquarian & Archaeological Soc., New Series: XC: P.170-171).

Listing NGR: NY4008655963

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

386808

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Nutter, M, Carlisle in the Olden Times, (1853)
Transactions Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society in Transactions Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, Vol. 90, (), 170-171
Carlisle Journal in 30 April, (1867)

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