Dewsbury Town Hall

Last updated

Dewsbury Town Hall
Dewsbury Town Hall.jpg
Dewsbury Town Hall
General information
Architectural style Renaissance Revival
Classification
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated18 November 1977
Reference no. 1134707
Town or city Dewsbury
Country England
Construction started1886
Completed1889
Cost£40,000
ClientDewsbury Council
Technical details
Structural systemAshlar, Sandstone
Design and construction
Architect(s)Henry Holtom
George Arthur Fox
EngineerChadwick & Sons

Dewsbury Town Hall is a Victorian town hall that stands in front of the old marketplace in the centre of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade II listed building. [1]

Contents

History

The site chosen for the town hall had previously been occupied by a hotel, a forge, a blacksmith and some other small businesses. [2] The foundation stone was laid by Thomas Bateman Fox JP, mayor of Dewsbury, on 12 October 1886. [3] The building was designed by local architects Henry Holtom and George Arthur Fox. [3] The Cambridge quarter-chiming clock in the tower, which was financed by a gift from Alderman Mark Oldroyd, a later mayor, was supplied by William Potts and Son of Leeds and installed on 2 April 1889. [3] The five bells, the largest of which weighed 35cwt, were supplied by Taylor of Loughborough. [4] The building itself was built by Chadwick & Sons at a cost of £40,000 and was officially opened by Alderman John Walker JP, the next mayor, on 17 September 1889. [3] [2]

King George V and Queen Mary visited the town hall in July 1912 and returned in early 1918 to thank the people of Dewsbury for their efforts during the First World War. [2] [5]

In 1928, Charles Brook Crawshaw, a local colliery proprietor, left a collection of important paintings to the town hall including "Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon", painted by John Martin in 1848, [6] and "Stocks Closed Firmly with an Upward Tendency", painted by William Strutt in 1889. [7] During the Second World War a bomb fell close to the town hall killing five residents [2] and blowing out one of the stained glass windows in the building. [3]

In January 1981, Peter Sutcliffe, the "Yorkshire Ripper", was held in the cells in the town hall following his arrest and he then appeared in the magistrates' court there. [8] The magistrates' court in the town hall closed in the late 1980s. [8]

More recently the building has been used in various television productions including the BBC series Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen in August 2009, [9] the ITV series Emmerdale in July 2011, [10] the ITV series Eternal Law in May 2011 [11] and the BBC series Love, Lies and Records in March 2017. [12]

Services

The town hall contains a 700-seat concert hall, function and meeting rooms, and an old court room. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Yorkshire</span> County of England

West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and east, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire to the south, Greater Manchester to the south-west, and Lancashire to the west. The city of Leeds is the largest settlement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batley</span> Town in West Yorkshire, England

Batley is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England, south-west of Leeds, north-west of Wakefield and Dewsbury, south-east of Bradford and north-east of Huddersfield, in the Heavy Woollen District. In 2011, the population was 48,730.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dewsbury</span> Market town in West Yorkshire, England

Dewsbury is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, after undergoing a period of major growth in the 19th century as a mill town, Dewsbury went through a period of decline. Dewsbury forms part of the Heavy Woollen District of which it is the largest town. The population of the built-up area was 63,722 at the 2021 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mirfield</span> Town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England

Mirfield is a town and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is on the A644 road between Brighouse and Dewsbury. At the 2011 census it had a population of 19,563. Mirfield forms part of the Heavy Woollen District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleckheaton</span> Town in West Yorkshire, England

Cleckheaton is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated south of Bradford, east of Brighouse, west of Batley and south-west of Leeds. It is at the centre of the Spen Valley and was the major town in the former borough of Spenborough. Cleckheaton has a history as a mill town and forms part of the Heavy Woollen District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirklees</span> Metropolitan borough in England

Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. The borough comprises the ten towns of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite. It is governed by Kirklees Council. Kirklees had a population of 422,500 in 2011; it is the third-largest metropolitan district in England by area, behind Doncaster and Leeds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morley, West Yorkshire</span> Market town and civil parish in West Yorkshire, England

Morley is a market town and a civil parish within the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, in West Yorkshire, England. Morley is the largest town in the borough after Leeds itself. Morley forms part of the Heavy Woollen District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huddersfield</span> Town in West Yorkshire, England

Huddersfield is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into the similar-sized Colne is to the south of the town centre which then flows into the Calder in the north eastern outskirts of the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heckmondwike</span> Town in West Yorkshire, England

Heckmondwike is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England, 9 miles (14 km) south west of Leeds. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is close to Cleckheaton and Liversedge. It is mostly in the Batley and Spen parliamentary constituency, and had an estimated population of 16,986 at the 2011 Census increasing to 18,149 at the 2021 Census. Heckmondwike forms part of the Heavy Woollen District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dewsbury (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1868-2024

Dewsbury was a constituency created in 1868 and abolished in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batley and Spen (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983-2024

Batley and Spen was a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The most recent MP was Kim Leadbeater, a Labour politician, elected in a 2021 by-election by a 323-vote margin. The seat had returned Labour MPs since the 1997 general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morley Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Morley, West Yorkshire, England

Morley Town Hall is a municipal facility in Morley, West Yorkshire, England. The town hall, which is the meeting place of Morley Town Council, is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Portsmouth Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Portsmouth Guildhall is a multi-use building in the centre of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. It is located in a pedestrian square close to Portsmouth and Southsea railway station. Constructed in 1890, the building was known as Portsmouth Town Hall until 1926. It was heavily damaged by bombing during the Second World War and largely rebuilt during the 1950s by the English architect Ernest Berry Webber. It now operates as a concert, wedding and conference venue. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirklees Council</span>

Kirklees Council, also known as Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council, is the local authority for the metropolitan borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. As a metropolitan borough council it provides the majority of local government services in the borough. Since 2014 the council has been a constituent members of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracy Brabin</span> British politician (born 1961)

Tracy Lynn Brabin is a British politician who has served as the Mayor of West Yorkshire since the office was established on 10 May 2021. She previously was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Batley and Spen from 2016 to 2021 under the Labour and Co-operative banner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirklees College</span> Further education college in Huddersfield, England

Kirklees College is a further education college with two main centres in the towns of Dewsbury and Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huddersfield Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England

Huddersfield Town Hall is a municipal facility in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnley Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Burnley, Lancashire, England

Burnley Town Hall is a municipal building in Manchester Road, Burnley, Lancashire, England. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Burnley Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lancaster Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Lancaster, Lancashire, England

Lancaster Town Hall is a municipal building in Dalton Square, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It was built in 1909 and is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ossett Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Ossett, West Yorkshire, England

Ossett Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place, Ossett, West Yorkshire, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Ossett Borough Council until 1974, is a grade II listed building.

References

  1. ↑ Historic England. "The Town Hall Including Magistrates' Court (1134707)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Dewsbury Town Hall". Kirklees Cousins. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "History of Dewsbury Town Hall" (PDF). Kirklees Council. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  4. ↑ "Chimes of the United Kingdom and Ireland". Church Bells of Warwickshire. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  5. ↑ "Nostalgia with Margaret Watson: Excitement as King and Queen come to Dewsbury". Dewsbury Reporter. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  6. ↑ Martin, John. "Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon". Art.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  7. ↑ Strutt, William. "Stocks Closed Firmly with an Upward Tendency". Art.uk. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  8. 1 2 "Examiner reporter Martin Shaw goes behind the scenes at Dewsbury Town Hall". Examiner. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  9. ↑ "Dewsbury Town Hall is small-screen star!". BBC. 13 November 2014. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  10. ↑ "Dewsbury Town Hall to appear in Emmerdale". Examiner Live. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  11. ↑ "New ITV1 series Eternal Law filmed at Dewsbury Town Hall". Examiner Live. 13 May 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  12. ↑ "New BBC One drama being filmed in Kirklees". Examiner Live. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  13. ↑ "Dewsbury Town Hall". Kirklees Council. Archived from the original on 1 February 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2020.

53°41′29″N1°37′37″W / 53.6915°N 1.6269°W / 53.6915; -1.6269

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.