Skipton Town Hall

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Skipton Town Hall
Skipton Town Hall (6924265127).jpg
Skipton Town Hall in 2012
LocationHigh Street, Skipton
Coordinates 53°57′44″N2°00′57″W / 53.96235°N 2.01593°W / 53.96235; -2.01593
Built1862
Architectural style(s) Neoclassical style
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated2 March 1978
Reference no.1301634
North Yorkshire UK location map (2023).svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in North Yorkshire

Skipton Town Hall is the town hall of Skipton, North Yorkshire. It is located on the town's High Street and is home to Craven Museum & Gallery as well as a Concert Hall with events and performance programme and Skipton Tourist Information Centre. Skipton Town Council also reside in the Victorian building, which is Grade II listed. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Contents

History

A flea market held inside the hall in 2007. Flea Market Skipton.JPG
A flea market held inside the hall in 2007.

In the mid-19th century a group of local businessmen decided to form a private company, known as the Skipton Public Buildings Company, to finance and commission a public events venue for the town. The site they selected was occupied by the former vicarage of the Holy Trinity Parish Church. [5]

The new building, designated No. 19 High Street, was designed in the neoclassical style, built in ashlar stone and was completed in 1862. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of seven bays facing the High street. It featured a two-storey portico, with two Corinthian order columns and two pilasters on the ground floor and four Corinthian order columns on the first floor. [1] The balcony at the front of the building was used to make public announcements. [5] Later the hall and the building next to it, No. 17 High Street, a commercial building became integrated. [5] In 1878, alterations were made to increase the height of the main hall which was used as a public functions room. [2]

In 1895, upon the creation of Skipton Urban District Council, the building was purchased to replace the former town hall situated on Sheep Street. [2] [6] The interior was altered to create a council chamber: the benches and chairs were made by the legendary furniture maker Robert Thompson also known as the "mouseman". [5] [7] [8]

During the 19th century a glass canopy was built onto the front of the Town Hall and lasted until the 1950s, and in 1935 the hall was made larger to accommodate more office space. [2] [5] The town hall continued to be used as a public venue and concert performers included the contralto singer, Kathleen Ferrier, who made an appearance on 27 January 1952. [9] The town hall continued to serve as the headquarters of the urban district council for much of the 20th century [5] and remained the meeting place for the enlarged Craven District Council which was formed in 1974. [10] The new council moved the museum from its previous location at the library to the first floor of the town hall annexe, and a professional museum team were hired to run the museum. [5]

In spring 2019 work started on a redevelopment project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and costing £4.5 million, to restore and upgrade the concert hall, to redesign the museum and to provide new gallery space. [11] [12] [13]

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References

  1. 1 2 Historic England. "15-19 High Street, Skipton (1301634)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Skipton Town Hall". Craven District Council. Archived from the original on 7 March 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  3. ↑ Tate, Lesley. "£180,000 repairs to Skipton Town Hall roof approved Water damage to the ornate ceiling of the council chamber Water damage on the floor of the council chamber". Craven Herald & Pioneer. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "Anger over plans for cafés and bars in historic listed Skipton town hall". Yorkshire Post . Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Anniversary celebration for historic Skipton Town Hall". Craven Herald & Pioneer. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  6. ↑ Rawson, Barry (1 July 2014). "Th Old Town Hall". Skipton Civic Society. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Skipton Town Hall council chamber open to the public". Craven District Council. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  8. ↑ "Skipton Town Hall and the mouseman of Kilburn" (PDF). Dales Heritage (3): 6. April 2005. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
  9. ↑ Fifield, Christopher (2011). Letters and Diaries of Kathleen Ferrier: Revised and Enlarged Edition. Boydell Press. p. 294. ISBN   978-1843830917.
  10. ↑ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN   0-10-547072-4.
  11. ↑ "Next stage of Skipton Town Hall rebuild about to start". Stray FM. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "Skipton Town Hall set to re-open in winter 2020". Craven District Council. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  13. ↑ "Completing Skipton Town Hall redevelopment 'even more important' for post Covid-19 recovery". Craven Herald and Pioneer. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
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