Details
GRIMSBY
TA2709SW TOWN HALL SQUARE
699-1/22/68 (South side)
31/10/74 Town Hall
GV II
Town hall and former courthouse and police station. 1861-3 by
Bellamy and Hardy of Lincoln with John Giles of London, and
James Fowler of Louth as superintending architect, for Great
Grimsby Corporation. Alterations and additions of 1887 by EW
Farebrother and John Buchan of Grimsby, architects, and Walter
Binns, builder, including new council chamber, banqueting
room, entrance hall and main staircase. Later C20 additions
and alterations.
MATERIALS: yellow brick with ashlar dressings. Welsh slate
roof.
STYLE: Itlaianate palazzo style.
PLAN: rectangular on plan, with main entrance and function
room to north front, and council chamber, former courtroom and
police cells to rear.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, 1:7:1 bays to north front, with outer
bays breaking forward. Moulded ashlar plinth, channelled
rustication to ground floor and boldly rusticated angles to
outer bays. Tetrastyle portico with double Corinthian columns
with bold block rustication, entablature with boars' heads
(from town Arms) in relief, balustraded balcony with piers
carrying ogee finials. Entrance flanked by double columns and
pilasters, with recessed partly glazed revolving door and side
doors. Arcaded ground floor with rusticated piers, raised
imposts and keyed segmental arches containing recessed
segmental-arched windows. Outer bays have a similar window in
a central recessed panel.
First floor: central section has pilastered round-arched
arcade with tall recessed 2-light windows, the arches with
hoodmoulds with carved finials. Above are 6 roundels with
projecting busts of (from left) Queen Victoria, Prince Albert,
Archbishop Whitgift, King Edward III, Earl of Yarborough,
Gervase Holles. Outer bays have giant twin Corinthian
pilasters flanking a single window in an eared architrave with
triangular pediment and balustraded aprons; above is a single
square plaque with painted relief of town Arms. Entablature at
eaves with modillioned cornice, balustraded parapet with
square piers. Tall hipped roofs to outer bays with
round-headed dormer windows.
Right return, in 2 builds. 3-bay main range has similar
details to main front, with central door and flanking windows
beneath keyed segmental arches, and pedimented first-floor
sashes with blind square panels above.
Lower 2-storey 5-bay 1887 Courthouse and Council Chamber
section to right has quoins, arcaded ground floor with
rusticated piers and keyed round arches. Entrance to right
with panelled double door and overlight beneath rusticated
arch with relief inscription "COURT HOUSE". Recessed 3-light
mullioned and transomed windows. Bold first-floor string
course, tall first-floor windows with stained glass in eared
architraves with sill string course and panelled aprons, the
central apron bearing a foundation tablet dated 18th August
1887, with names of architects, builder etc. Above are
lunettes with radial glazing bars, keyed architraves and sill
string course. Coved eaves cornice.
Left return, in 3 builds, 2:8:3 bays. 3-bay section to right
is similar to right return. 8-bay section to left has door to
left of centre beneath blind round arch, 4-bay arcaded section
to right with rusticated piers and keyed round arches
containing recessed 3-light round-headed windows; to the left,
3 sashes and a casement beneath 2 wide blind arches. Moulded
first-floor string course, first-floor 2-light windows in
eared architraves. Later addition to left in matching style
and materials has pair of doors and 4 ground-floor sashes
beneath lintels, 2 first-floor windows in architraves.
INTERIOR: entrance hall has Doric-columned screen with round
arches. Staircase hall has columned Venetian window,
shell-headed alcoves, dentilled cornice and deeply coved
ceiling; stone imperial staircase with heavy balusters and
piers carrying griffins holding the town Arms.
Main assembly room, first-floor front, has wall arcade of
Composite pilasters, coved and panelled plasterwork ceiling
with pendants and roses, gallery with cast-iron balustrade.
Banqueting Room, first-floor rear left, has dado, Doric
pilasters, frieze and panelled ceiling.
Council Chamber, first-floor rear right, has elaborate wood
panelling with Ionic pilasters and pedimented overdoors; Ionic
wall arcade with ornate plasterwork frieze and cornice, and
coved ceiling with panels and pendants; richly carved
furnishings, windows in architraves with stained glass coats
of arms of 1957.
Former prison cells to rear centre, in a row of 5, each cell
barrel-vaulted, with original doors; a second range is
represented by their doors and corridor; the former exercise
yard is now a room. The former courtroom, adjoining to rear
right, is now a function room, also used for the Mayor's
Court.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N, Harris J, and Antram N:
Lincolnshire: London: 1989-: 342; Grimsby - Action for
Conservation: Grimsby Borough Planning Department: List of
buildings of local architectural or historical interest:
Grimsby Borough Council: 1972-: NO.1; Grimsby Borough Council:
Top Town Trail: Grimsby: 1989-: NO. 26; Grimsby Planning
Department: Central Conservation Area: Grimsby Borough
Council: 1990-: MAP).
Listing NGR: TA2711009291
