Nottingham Guildhall

Last updated

Nottingham Guildhall
Nottingham Guildhall (2).JPG
Location map United Kingdom Nottingham Central.png
Red pog.svg
Location in Central Nottingham
General information
AddressBurton Street
Town or city Nottingham
Coordinates 52°57′23″N1°9′2.7″W / 52.95639°N 1.150750°W / 52.95639; -1.150750
Groundbreaking1887
Completed1888
Cost£65,000
Design and construction
Architect(s) Thomas Verity and George Henry Hunt
Main contractorGabbutts of Liverpool
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameGuildhall and associated caves
Designated12 July 1972
Reference no. 1246296

Nottingham Guildhall is a former magistrates' court in Nottingham, England. The structure, which was used by Nottingham City Council as offices in the 1990s, is a Grade II listed building. [1]

Contents

History

Nottingham Guildhall from the Illustrated Guide to the Church Congress 1897 Nottingham Guildhall.jpg
Nottingham Guildhall from the Illustrated Guide to the Church Congress 1897

Nottingham Guildhall was built in 1887 to 1888 to replace the previous Nottingham Guild Hall on Weekday Cross. Following a competition with Alfred Waterhouse as the judge, the French Renaissance Revival design by the architects Thomas Verity and George Henry Hunt was chosen. Gabbutts of Liverpool were chosen as contractors much to the annoyance of local building companies. [2] The initial estimate for the building was £128,416 (equivalent to £16,336,977in 2023), [3] and immediately the council asked Verity and Hunt to simplify the design. [4] The building was erected in Darley Dale ashlar and brick, with Westmorland slate roofs for a cost of £65,000 [5] (equivalent to £9,145,743in 2023) [3] and completed in 1888. [1]

In 1996, all magistrates were moved to the new Nottingham Magistrates' Court building. [6] Between 1996 and 2010 the Guildhall was occupied by Nottingham City Council. In 2010 the council left for new, modern offices at Loxley House, close to Nottingham rail station. Since this date the building has remained council-owned but is relatively unused. In 2016, the council initiated discussions with a developer with a view to selling the property. [7] [8]

Between May and July 2024, vandals set fire to the guildhall several times. Security at the site has since been increased. [9] [10] [11]

Caves

The two-level cave system is reached by an open well stair. The brick-lined passages and cells were extensively modified during World War II for use as emergency headquarters and air raid shelters. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Justice Museum</span> Museum housed in a former courtroom, prison, and police station in Nottingham, England

The National Justice Museum is an independent museum on High Pavement in the Lace Market area of Nottingham, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southampton Civic Centre</span> Municipal building in Southampton, Hampshire, England

The Civic Centre is a municipal building located in the Cultural Quarter area within the city of Southampton, England. It comprises offices occupied by Southampton City Council, the SeaCity Museum, the Guildhall, the Southampton City Art Gallery, and the city library. It was designed by the English architect Ernest Berry Webber in the Classical style in 1929 and constructed over a ten-year period. It was completed in 1939. Pevsner's Hampshire: South describes it as "the most ambitious civic building erected in the provinces in the interwar years". It was designated as a Grade II* listed building in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Arboretum, Nottingham</span> Public park in Nottingham, England

The Arboretum is a city park in Nottingham, England.

<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">Nottingham Magistrates' Court</span>

Nottingham Magistrates' Court is a magistrates' court in Nottingham, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Pavement</span> Historic street

High Pavement is a street in Nottingham in Nottinghamshire, England. It is one of the earliest streets in the city, and most of its buildings are listed.

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

Totnes Guildhall is a 16th-century Tudor historic guildhall, magistrate's court, and prison, in the town of Totnes, south Devon, in southwest England. It is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolton Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England

Bolton Town Hall in Victoria Square, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, was built between 1866 and 1873 for the County Borough of Bolton to designs by William Hill of Leeds and George Woodhouse of Bolton. The town hall was extended in the 1930s to the designs of Bradshaw, Gass and Hope and has been designated a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston upon Thames Guildhall</span> Municipal building in London, England

The Kingston upon Thames Guildhall is a municipal building in Kingston upon Thames in England. It is situated in the High Street, adjacent to the Hogsmill River. The guildhall, which is the headquarters of Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nottingham Guild Hall</span>

Nottingham Guild Hall was built on Weekday Cross in Nottingham. Originally a hall for the merchant Guilds, it became the Court House and Town Hall of the Nottingham Corporation. The building was demolished in 1895.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Lincoln Council</span>

The City of Lincoln Council is the local authority for the district of Lincoln, in the county of Lincolnshire, England. The council consists of 33 councillors, three for each of the 11 wards in the city. It is currently controlled by the Labour Party, led by Naomi Tweddle. The administrative headquarters is at Lincoln City Hall although council meetings are held at the guildhall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucester Shire Hall</span> County building in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England

Gloucester Shire Hall is a municipal building in Westgate Street, Gloucester. The shire hall, which is the main office and the meeting place of Gloucestershire County Council, is a grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County House, Nottingham</span>

County House is a Grade II* listed building at 23 High Pavement, Nottingham.

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

Salisbury Guildhall is an 18th-century municipal building in the Market Place, Salisbury, England. The building, which is the meeting place of the Salisbury City Council, is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King's Lynn Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Kings Lynn, Norfolk, England

King's Lynn Guildhall, more fully referred to as the Guildhall of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a municipal building in Saturday Market Place in King's Lynn, Norfolk. It is a Grade I listed building. The building was substantially extended in 1895, with the whole complex now generally known as King's Lynn Town Hall, with the 1895 extension being separately listed at Grade II. It is the usual meeting place of King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire Hall, Bedford</span> County building in Bedford, Bedfordshire, England

The Shire Hall is a municipal building in St Paul's Square, Bedford, Bedfordshire. The shire hall, which was the headquarters of Bedfordshire County Council from 1888 to 1969, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire Hall Complex, Bury St Edmunds</span> County building in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England

The Shire Hall Complex is a group of municipal buildings in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. The complex, which was the headquarters of West Suffolk County Council until its abolition in 1974, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle-under-Lyme Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England

The Guildhall is a municipal building in High Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Sessions House</span> Municipal building in Boston, England

Boston Sessions House is a judicial structure in Church Close, Boston, Lincolnshire, England. The structure, which used to be the main courthouse for the north of Parts of Holland, is a Grade II* listed building.

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

Ludlow Guildhall is a historic building in Mill Street in Ludlow, a town in Shropshire, in England. The building, which accommodates the offices and meeting place of Ludlow Town Council, is a Grade I listed building.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Historic England, "Guildhall and associated caves (1246296)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 4 April 2017
  2. Victorian Nottingham. A Story in Pictures. Richard Iliffe and Wilfred Baguley. Volume 19.
  3. 1 2 UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth . Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  4. "1883: The Guildhall, Nottingham". Archiseek. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  5. Strangers Guide to Nottingham. 1892.
  6. The Architects' journal, Volume 218, 2003
  7. "Nottingham Guildhall site sale can now be completed after terms agreed". West Bridgford Wire. 6 February 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  8. "Nottingham Guildhall sale back on track after new terms agreed with buyer". Notts TV. 7 February 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  9. "Warning after deliberate fires set in listed building". BBC News. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  10. "Warning after spate of 'deliberate' fires at historic Nottingham city centre landmark". Nottingham World. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  11. "Security tightened at Nottingham landmark after nine fires in six weeks". Nottinghamshire Live. 14 August 2024.