Old Town Hall, Mansfield

Last updated

The Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall And Attached Piers And Railings, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire (1).jpg
The Old Town Hall, Mansfield
LocationMarket Place, Mansfield
Coordinates 53°08′38″N1°11′48″W / 53.1438°N 1.1968°W / 53.1438; -1.1968 Coordinates: 53°08′38″N1°11′48″W / 53.1438°N 1.1968°W / 53.1438; -1.1968
Built1836
Architect William Adams Nicholson
Architectural style(s) Neoclassical style
Listed Building – Grade II*
Official nameThe old town hall and attached piers and railings
Designated17 March 1978
Reference no.1207179
Nottinghamshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Nottinghamshire

The Old Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The town hall, which was the meeting place of Mansfield District Council, is a Grade II* listed building. [1]

Contents

History

In the early 19th century civic meetings were held in the Moot Hall. [2] [3] After civic leaders found the moot hall was inadequate for their needs (the largest room measured only 48 feet (15 m) long by 17 feet (5.2 m) wide), [3] a group of local businessmen decided to form "The Town Hall Company" to develop a new building. [4]

The foundation stone for the new building was laid by John Coke of Debdale Hall on 21 July 1835. [4] [5] It was designed by William Adams Nicholson in the neoclassical style, built in ashlar stone and completed in 1836. [1] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto the Market Square; the central bay, which slightly projected forward, featured a tetrastyle portico with Doric order columns supporting an entablature bearing the town's coat of arms. [1] There were sash windows on the first floor and a clock in the pediment above. [1] Internally, the principal room was the council chamber on the first floor. [1] The Town Improvement Commissioners purchased the building from the Town Hall Company in April 1883 [4] and a public reading room was opened in the building on 28 October 1891. [4]

The area, which became a municipal borough in 1891, [6] saw continued population growth with the development of the coal mining industry in the early 20th century, with the town hall serving as the headquarters of the new borough council. [7] King George V and Queen Mary made an official visit to Mansfield on 25 June 1914, and did so again on 11 July 1928, and on both occasions attended receptions in front of the town hall. [8] The building was requisitioned by the War Office at the start of the Second World War and council meetings were held in the electricity showrooms in Regent Street until the building was handed back in August 1944. [4] The town hall became the local seat of government for the enlarged Mansfield District Council when it was formed in 1974. [9]

Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, went on a walkabout along Westgate before signing the visitors book at the town hall on 28 July 1977. [8] The town hall ceased to be the local seat of government when the new council relocated to Mansfield Civic Centre, which was opened by Princess Anne in 1986. [10] [11] However, a tourist information office was established in the town hall in August 1994. [4] [12]

Rebecca Adlington on an open-top bus after parading around Mansfield town centre streets in 2008 Rebecca Adlington at Mansfield Town Hall 2008.jpg
Rebecca Adlington on an open-top bus after parading around Mansfield town centre streets in 2008

The local competitive swimmer, Rebecca Adlington, who won gold medals for each of the 400 and 800-metre freestyle swimming events at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, was welcomed home to Mansfield by thousands of people who lined the streets to applaud as she passed by in an open top bus and then appeared at a ceremony at the town hall in August 2008. [13]

Refurbishment

Mansfield District Council identified that the building needed urgent repairs. The adjacent old indoor market was demolished in 2010 to provide car parking. [14] To allow remedial works to start on the old Town Hall structure, Mansfield BID (Business Improvement District), based at the old Town Hall since inception in 2010, moved out in 2015, together with some remaining council administrators. [15] Further upgrading and long-term underuse prompted applications for further works and renovation grants from 2018, [16] [17] including facilitating creation of rentable office accommodation, internal retail areas and renovation of two external retail units. [18] [19] [20]

In October 2021, the council announced a plan to create a new community hub in the old town hall, intending to relocate their own staff together with other local parties having vested interests in the Civic Centre and the area. The project will be subject to a successful bid for funding from central government under the Levelling up scheme announced in 2021. [21]

In March 2022, Mansfield District Council announced that all of the retail units had been let – two external and three internal – to a variety of small businesses. The council's Town Centre Management Team are also based within the building. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Barnsley is a market town in South Yorkshire, England. It is the main settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley and the fourth largest settlement in South Yorkshire. The town's population was 96,888 in 2021, while the wider borough had a population of 244,600 in the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfreton</span> Town and civil parish in Amber Valley, Derbyshire, England

Alfreton is a town and civil parish in the Amber Valley district of Derbyshire, England. The town was formerly a Norman Manor and later an Urban District. The population of the Alfreton parish was 7,971 at the 2011 Census. The villages of Ironville, Riddings, Somercotes and Swanwick were historically part of the Manor and Urban District, and the population including these was 24,476 in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastwood, Nottinghamshire</span> Human settlement in England

Eastwood is a former coal mining town in the Broxtowe district of Nottinghamshire, England, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Nottingham and 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Derby on the border between Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. Mentioned in Domesday Book, it expanded rapidly during the Industrial Revolution. The Midland Railway was formed here and it is the birthplace of D. H. Lawrence. The distinctive dialect of East Midlands English is extensively spoken, in which the name of the town is pronounced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashfield District</span> District in England

Ashfield is a local government district in Nottinghamshire, England. The population of Ashfield was 127,200 in 2018. The district is mostly urban and forms part of both the Nottingham and Mansfield Urban Areas. There are three towns in the district; Sutton-in-Ashfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield and Hucknall. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of urban districts of Hucknall, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield and parts of Basford Rural District, namely the parishes of Annesley, Felley and Selston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnold, Nottinghamshire</span> Market town and suburb of Nottingham

Arnold is a market town and unparished area in the Borough of Gedling in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands of England. It is situated to the north-east of Nottingham's city boundary. Arnold has the largest town centre in the Borough of Gedling and the most important town centre in the northeastern part of the conurbation of Greater Nottingham. Gedling Borough Council is headquartered in Arnold. Since 1968 Arnold has had a market, and the town used to have numerous factories associated with the hosiery industry. Nottinghamshire Police have been headquartered in Arnold since 1979. At the time of the 2011 United Kingdom census, Arnold had a population of 37,768.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutton-in-Ashfield</span> Market town in Nottinghamshire, England

Sutton-in-Ashfield is a market town in Nottinghamshire, England, with a population of 48,527 in 2019. It is the largest town in the district of Ashfield, four miles west of Mansfield, two miles from the Derbyshire border and 12 miles north of Nottingham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirebrook</span> Human settlement in England

Shirebrook is a town in the Bolsover district in Derbyshire, England. Close to the boundaries with the districts of Mansfield and Bassetlaw of Nottinghamshire, it had a population of 13,300 in 2001, reducing to 9,760 at the 2011 Census. It is on the B6407, and close to the A632 road, between Mansfield and Bolsover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkby-in-Ashfield</span> Town in Nottinghamshire, England

Kirkby-in-Ashfield is a market town in the Ashfield District of Nottinghamshire, England. With a population of 25,265, it is a part of the wider Mansfield Urban Area. The Head Offices of Ashfield District Council are located on Urban Road in the town centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mansfield Woodhouse</span> Human settlement in England

Mansfield Woodhouse is a settlement about 1.2 miles (2 km) north of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, England, along the main A60 road in a wide, low valley between the Rivers Maun and Meden. Founded before the Roman Empire, it is noteworthy for its stone-built centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mansfield railway station (Nottinghamshire)</span> Railway station in Nottinghamshire, England

Mansfield railway station is a railway station which serves the town of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, England. Alternatively it is named Mansfield Town, to distinguish itself from the GCR's former Mansfield Central and Mansfield Woodhouse's station. The station is 17 miles (27 km) north of Nottingham on the Robin Hood Line, and is managed by East Midlands Railway. The station building is Grade II listed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warsop</span> Human settlement in England

Warsop is a town and civil parish in the Mansfield district, Nottinghamshire, England, on the outskirts of the remnants of Sherwood Forest. At the 2001 census it had a population of 12,365, reducing to 11,999 at the 2011 Census including Church Warsop, Meden Vale, Sookholme and Spion Kop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mansfield</span> Market town in Nottinghamshire, England

Mansfield is a market town and the administrative centre of the Mansfield District in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the largest town in the wider Mansfield Urban Area. It gained the Royal Charter of a market town in 1227. The town lies in the Maun Valley, 12 miles (19 km) north of Nottingham. It had a population of 110,500 at the 2021 census, according to the Office for National Statistics. Mansfield is the one local authority in Nottinghamshire with a publicly elected mayor.

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

The Town Hall is a municipal building in Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria. It is a Grade II listed building. It serves as the headquarters of Kendal Town Council and also forms part of the complex of buildings which served as the headquarters of the former South Lakeland District Council.

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

Newark Town Hall is a municipal building consisting of a town hall, assembly rooms and a market hall in Newark on Trent, Nottinghamshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building.

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

Retford Town Hall is a municipal building in The Square, Retford, Nottinghamshire, England. The town hall, which was the meeting place of Retford Borough Council, is a grade II listed building.

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

The Old Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. The town hall, which was the meeting place of Hemel Hempstead Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

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

Gainsborough Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, England. The town hall was the headquarters of Gainsborough Urban District Council and now serves as a local entertainment venue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Hall, Hexham</span> Municipal building in Hexham, Northumberland, England

The Queen's Hall, formerly Hexham Town Hall, is a municipal structure in Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, England. The structure, which was the headquarters of Hexham Urban District Council and is now an arts centre, is a Grade II listed building.

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

Cockermouth Town Hall is a municipal structure in Market Street, Cockermouth, Cumbria, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Cockermouth Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moot Hall, Mansfield</span> Municipal building in Mansfield, England

The Moot Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England. The building, which now operates as a shop, is a Grade II listed building.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Historic England. "The old town hall and attached piers and railings (1207179)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  2. ↑ Historic England. "Former moot hall at north corner of the Market Place (1207177)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  3. 1 2 Groves, William Horner (1894). "The History of Mansfield". F. Murray. p. 347.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Annals of Mansfield from 1086 to 1999". Our Mansfield and Area. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  5. ↑ "Debdale Hall". Old Mansfield Woodhouse Society. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  6. ↑ "Mansfield". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Nottinghamshire Coalfield: Mansfield Area". Northern Mine Research Society. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  8. 1 2 "Royal visits to Mansfield". Sister Cities Association. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  9. ↑ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN   0-10-547072-4.
  10. ↑ "Mansfield Civic Centre". Exhibitions. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  11. ↑ "New executive for Lindhurst Rooms". Hucknall Dispatch. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  12. ↑ Town's first Tourist Information Point opens its doors. Mansfield Reports 1993/94, p.5 Mansfield District Council. Accessed 19 March 2021
  13. ↑ "Golden girl brings pride to town". BBC. 27 August 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  14. ↑ Creating a 'City Centre' for Mansfield 2009-2019 Section three - Town Hall invest.ashfield-mansfield.com Retrieved 8 February 2021
  15. ↑ Work gets underway on Mansfield Old Town Hall News Journal, 29 June 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2021
  16. ↑ Mansfield Old Town Hall d2n2lep.org, 17 August 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2021
  17. ↑ £1.4m revamp of Old Town Hall in Mansfield to provide shops, offices and 20 jobs Nottinghamshire Live , 28 November 2018
  18. ↑ Work starts on £1.4million Mansfield Old Town Hall revamp d2n2lep.org, 27 November 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2021
  19. ↑ Chance to rent Mansfield's newly-refurbished Old Town Hall Chad, 5 June 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2021
  20. ↑ Old Town Hall renovation shortlisted for top awards d2n2lep.org, 17 August 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2021
  21. ↑ "Council moves towards new community hub". Mansfield District Council. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  22. ↑ "Here comes the...new tenant". My Mansfield, Mansfield District Council, Newsletter, Spring 2022, p.5. Accessed 6 April 2022
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.