Former Town Hall and Medway Arts Centre
Old Town Hall, The Brook, Chatham, Medway, ME4 4SE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1268228
- Date first listed:
- 01-Jun-1990
- List Entry Name:
- Former Town Hall and Medway Arts Centre
- Statutory Address:
- Old Town Hall, The Brook, Chatham, Medway, ME4 4SE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 1999-08-12
- Reference:
- IOE01/00773/04
- Rights:
- © Mr M.K Lofthouse. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1268228
- Date first listed:
- 01-Jun-1990
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 21-Nov-1996
- List Entry Name:
- Former Town Hall and Medway Arts Centre
- Statutory Address 1:
- Old Town Hall, The Brook, Chatham, Medway, ME4 4SE
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:
- Old Town Hall, The Brook, Chatham, Medway, ME4 4SE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Medway (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 75855 68148
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 27 June 2023 to amend the name and address
TQ7568SE
762-1/2/7
CHATHAM
THE BROOK
Old Town Hall
(Formerly Listed as DOCK ROAD (North East side) Former Town Hall and Medway Arts Centre, previously listed as DOCK ROAD Town Hall and Medway Arts Centre)
01/06/90
II
Town hall, now arts centre. 1899, by GE Bond, converted 1988. Bath limestone ashlar with ragstone rock-faced plinth and slate roof with copper cupola.
STYLE: Free Renaissance.
PLAN: irregular quadrangular plan with central well.
EXTERIOR: three storeys and basement; south west front is three and a half bays. Symmetrical five-bay section has projecting three-window centre, rusticated ground floor and cornices between floors, with a raised, pedimented centre dated 1899; four round-arched ground floor windows, tripartite first floor windows with the Chatham City arms, and round-arched second-floor windows with foliate aprons. Three-bay left-hand section divided by giant attached columns to upper floors with figures on top and blocked pilasters beneath, blocked round arches to ground floor are entrances and to first floor open with balustrades. To the left, a three-stage square tower with a curved balcony and clock to each side, with an open bell turret with projecting corners with paired columns, and an octagonal, domed cupola. North west elevation is four bays with a central first and second storey canted bay, and round-arched ground-floor windows. South east elevation to former Council chamber has eight bays divided by pilasters, paired round-arched ground floor windows and large depressed three-centre arched upper windows with mullions and transoms and carved aprons, the right-hand gable return in three sections with a large three-centre arched upper window in a raised central section, with pedimented parapet. North corner a two storey range including a chamfered corner with a large five-light oriel on a moulded corbelled base. Balustrade extends all round.
INTERIOR: richly detailed, includes a large entrance hall with curved stair with decorative rail and newel, first floor enriched former Council Chamber to rear has a cast-iron balcony, wainscotting and panelling, large former meeting hall with proscenium arch and six roof trusses, Mayor's Parlour with original sanitary fittings and ceramic tiles, and half-glazed doors with enriched surrounds.
Listing NGR: TQ7585568148
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 462086
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Newman, J, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, (1976), 201
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 12:26:22.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.