Town Hall And Guildhall

NZ 2742 NW 9/232 19.2.70

DURHAM AND FRAMWELLGATE MARKET PLACE (West side)

Town Hall and Guildhall

GV II*

Town hall and Guildhall. C17 Guildhall with C18 alterations; 1851 town hall and front range by P.C. Hardwick. Coursed sandstone with ashlar dressings; roof of graduated Lakeland slate. Perpendicular style. 2 storeys and attics; 4 bays. 3-bay Guildhall at left has 3 Tudor-arched doorways with chamfered surrounds; paired windows flank the central which has carved panels above dated 1850; large stone brackets support first-floor balcony to high, wide central 3-light window and tall 2-light flanking windows with tracery; drip moulds and relieving arches above. Central spherical-triangular attic window in coped gable; battlemented coping over side bays; tall end buttresses. 6 wide steps up to set-back right entrance to town hall: 2-centred arch with head-stopped drip mould and canopied niche; linen-fold panelling on double doors; 2-light windows flanking niche and 3-light above have stone mullions, with transoms to top window, and Tudor-headed lights. Steeply-pitched roof has tall crocketed spirelet over ridge ventilator, and paired coped ashlar polygonal chimneys.

Interior: Guildhall, built 1665, has high wood panelling on west wall with plaster above; renewed arch-braced 3-bay roof on shafted wood corbels. Arms of William and Mary above panelling; Mayor's Chamber adjoining to north has 1752 panelling, 2-panelled doors and C20 coved ceiling; Jacobean chimney piece and overmantel transferred from former Red Lion Inn, now part of Hatfield College. North Bailey: figures in contemporary dress of gentleman, king and soldier. Town hall at west, above covered market (q.v.) has panelled walls with commemorative painted panels; hammer-beam roof with much carved decoration; high stone-hooded chimney piece and linen-fold panelled double doors. Entrance hall has one medieval head-carved stone corbel, perhaps a survival of the 1356 Guildhall on the site.

Listing NGR: NZ2738742564