Lerwick Town Hall

Last updated

Lerwick Town Hall
GB-lerwick-rathaus.jpg
Lerwick Town Hall
Location Lerwick
Coordinates 60°9′16″N1°8′46″W / 60.15444°N 1.14611°W / 60.15444; -1.14611
Built1883
ArchitectAlexander Ross
Architectural style(s) Scottish Baronial style
Listed Building – Category A
Designated8 November 1974
Reference no.LB37256
Shetland UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Shetland

Lerwick Town Hall is a municipal building located on Hillhead in Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland. It is used as an events venue and registrar's office. The building, which was also the meeting place of Shetland Islands Council until 2022, is a Category A listed building. [1]

Contents

History

Stained-glass windows inside Lerwick Town Hall Stained Glass Windows, Lerwick Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 2068918.jpg
Stained-glass windows inside Lerwick Town Hall

For much of the 19th century meetings of the local council were held in the Parish Kirk in Queens Lane. [2] After a period of rapid population expansion in Lerwick associated with the growth in the herring industry, civic leaders decided to procure a purpose-built town hall: a site on the north Hillhead was selected. [2]

The foundation stone for the new building was laid by Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh on a visit to the isles on 24 January 1882. [2] That same evening Lerwick saw the first ever Up Helly Aa torchlight procession. [2] The new building was designed by architect, Alexander Ross from Inverness, [3] in the Scottish Baronial style and builder John M. Aitken of Lerwick won the tender competition with a price of £3,240. [2] The building was officially opened by George Thoms, Sheriff of Caithness, Orkney and Shetland, on 30 July 1883. [2] The design involved a symmetrical frontage with five bays facing on Hillhead; the central section featured an arched doorway on the ground floor; there was an oriel window on the first floor with a pediment bearing a coat of arms above and there were bartizans at the corners of the building. [1] There was a battlemented tower on the east side and a rose window on the north side. [1] Internally, the principal rooms were a council chamber and a courtroom; there were also police cells in the building. [2]

Stained glass windows, designed by James Ballantine & Son, were subsequently installed in the building: these included a depiction of the marriage between Margaret of Denmark and James III of Scotland in 1469. [4] There were also windows presented by the Corporation of Amsterdam and the Corporation of Hamburg. [5] Panels with the coats of arms of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Leith, which had been presented by the respective corporations, were installed in a corridor. [6] A clock, designed and manufactured by Potts of Leeds, was installed in the tower in 1887. [7]

The town hall was the headquarters of Lerwick Town Council until 1975, when it passed to the Shetland Islands Council on local government reorganisation. The council moved its main offices to a modern building at 8 North Ness in 2012. [8] The local registrar's office moved from the County Buildings to Lerwick Town Hall in February 2015. [9] The town hall continued to be used for council meetings until 2022 when a new council chamber was created in the former St Ringan's Church on Lower Hillhead. [10] [11] [12]

The front steps of the town hall, which had badly decayed, were replaced in spring 2008. [2] Prince Charles, Duke of Rothesay visited the town hall and reviewed the conservation work being undertaken in July 2021. [13]

Works of art in the town hall include a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Leonard Boden [14] and a portrait of Charles Rampini, Sheriff of Dumfries and Galloway, [15] by John Henry Lorimer. [16]

Services

The town hall is used for functions such as marriages, wedding receptions, concerts, coffee mornings and evening events. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shetland</span> Archipelago in the Northern Atlantic

Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands, is an archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands, and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkwall</span> Town on Orkney, Scotland

Kirkwall is the largest town in Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. First mentioned in the Orkneyinga saga, it is today the location of the headquarters of the Orkney Islands Council and a transport hub with ferries to many locations. It is the centre of the St Magnus International Festival and is also a popular stopping off point for cruise ships. St Magnus Cathedral stands at the heart of the town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lerwick</span> Town in Shetland, Scotland

Lerwick is the main town and port of the Shetland archipelago, Scotland. Shetland's only burgh, Lerwick had a population of about 7,000 residents in 2010. It is the northernmost major settlement within the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anderson High School, Lerwick</span> School in Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland

The Anderson High School (AHS) is a comprehensive secondary school in Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland. The AHS is the largest school in Shetland with around 67 staff and about 800-900 pupils from age 12 to 18.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Club, Edinburgh</span>

The New Club is a private social club in the New Town area of Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded in 1787, it is Scotland's oldest club. The club occupied premises on St Andrew Square from 1809 until 1837, when it moved to purpose-built rooms on Princes Street. The 1837 building was replaced with a modern building to a design by Reiach and Hall, which is protected as a category A listed building. Women were admitted in 1970, and offered full membership from 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shetland Islands Council</span> Local authority for Shetland, Scotland

The Shetland Islands Council is the local authority for the Shetland Islands, one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It was established in 1975 by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 and was largely unaffected by the Scottish local government changes of 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shetland Museum</span>

The Shetland Museum and Archives is a museum in Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland. The new Shetland Museum at Hay's Dock was officially opened on 31 May 2007 by Queen Sonja of Norway and the Duke & Duchess of Rothesay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Böd of Gremista</span>

The Böd of Gremista, situated at the north end of Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland, is a typical 18th-century Shetland fishing booth. It is protected as a category B listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilbert Bain Hospital</span> Hospital in Scotland

The Gilbert Bain Hospital is a rural general hospital in the burgh of Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland. It is managed by NHS Shetland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quarff</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Quarff is a small village on Mainland in the Shetland Islands in Scotland. It is located on the main A970 road, 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Shetland's only town, Lerwick. The village is spread along a classic glacial valley that runs east–west across the island between high hills to north and south, with centres of population at Easter Quarff which is near the main road and the east coast, and Wester Quarff which is 11⁄2 miles (2.4 km) west and faces the Atlantic Ocean. A narrow road runs along the valley between the two.

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

Fulham Town Hall is a municipal building on Fulham Road, Fulham, London. It is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lerwick Power Station</span>

The main power supply for Shetland is provided by Lerwick Power Station, located in Gremista, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northwest of Lerwick town centre. This is the principal source of electrical energy for Shetland, however currently about 20 MWe is provided by the Sullom Voe Terminal power station which comprises 4 x 23 MWe Gas Turbines, the future of which is uncertain. Opened on 27 May 1953 the station is diesel-fuelled and generates a total of 66 MW of power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shetland Library</span>

Shetland Library is the public library service of Shetland, with its main branch based in Lerwick. Membership is open to both residents of and visitors to the islands. The library has a range of digital, online and physical material and collections that support the literary traditions of the Northern Isles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Richmond</span> Municipal building in London, England

The Old Town Hall, Richmond, on Whittaker Avenue in Richmond, London, is a former municipal building which from 1893 to 1965 served as the town hall for the Municipal Borough of Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dundee City Chambers</span> Municipal building in Dundee, Scotland

Dundee City Chambers is a municipal facility in City Square, Dundee, Scotland. The city chambers, which is headquarters of Dundee City Council, is a Category B listed building.

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

Berwick Town Hall is a municipal facility in Marygate, Berwick-upon-Tweed, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council, is a Grade I listed building.

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

Wakefield Town Hall is a municipal building in Wood Street in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It remains a venue for weddings and civil partnerships but is no longer the headquarters of Wakefield Council which is now based at County Hall. The town hall is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Galashiels Burgh Chambers</span> Municipal building in Galashiels, Scotland

Galashiels Burgh Chambers is a municipal building in Albert Place, Galashiels, Scotland. The building, which was the headquarters of Galashiels Burgh Council, is a Category B listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Buildings, Lerwick</span> County building in Lerwick, Scotland

County Buildings is a municipal structure in King Erik Street, Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a judicial complex, is a Category B listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lerwick Tolbooth</span> Municipal building in Lerwick, Scotland

Lerwick Tolbooth is a former judicial building on Commercial Street in Lerwick in Shetland in Scotland. The building, which is used as a lifeboat station, is a Category B listed building.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Historic Environment Scotland. "Lerwick Town hall, Hillhead and Charlotte Street, Including Lamp Standards, Gatepiers, Boundary Walls and Railings, Lerwick (Category A Listed Building) (LB37256)" . Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "It cost £4,940 15/6d to build, now monument to civic splendour is 125 years old". The Shetland Times. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  3. ↑ Gifford, John (2003). Highland and Islands (Buildings of Scotland Series). Yale University Press. p. 66. ISBN   978-0300096255.
  4. ↑ "Lerwick's Fine Victorian Town Hall Is Reborn". Shetland Islands Council. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  5. ↑ "Hamburg Window". Shetland Islands Council. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  6. ↑ "Lerwick". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  7. ↑ Potts, Michael (2006). Potts of Leeds – Five Generations of Clockmakers. Mayfield Books. p. 395. ISBN   0-9523270-8-2.
  8. ↑ "New council headquarters open". Shetland News. 17 April 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  9. ↑ "County Buildings". Shetland Times. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  10. ↑ Cope, Chris (11 March 2022). "From church to library to council chamber: St Ringan's latest evolution". Shetland News. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "Shetland: a model for the future". The Shetland Times. 5 April 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  12. ↑ Taylor, Ryan (11 May 2022). "First look inside new council chamber". The Shetland Times. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  13. ↑ "Royal Visit to Lerwick Town Hall". Shetland Islands Council. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  14. ↑ Boden, Leonard. "HM Queen Elizabeth II (b.1926)". Art UK. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "No. 27196". The London Gazette. 25 May 1900. p. 3333.
  16. ↑ Lorimer, John Henry. "Charles Rampini (1840–1907)". Art UK. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "Welcome to Shetland Islands Council". shetland.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 13 August 2006. Retrieved 20 January 2014.
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.