Dukinfield Town Hall

Dukinfield Town Hall

Red brick with sandstone dressings and slate roofs, in the Gothic style.

The building follows an E-shaped plan with north and south wings and a central stair hall projecting to the rear, with subsequent infill. A corridor runs the length of each floor at the rear, with offices opening off the west side. The former council chamber (George Hatton Hall) and mayor's parlour occupy the north end of the first floor, with a lesser hall at the south end.

The main elevation on King Street is two storeys over a raised basement, symmetrically designed with ashlar sill, lintel and intermediate bands. A tall, square clock tower with ashlar pinnacles topped by cupolas and a steep slated spire forms the centrepiece, flanked by slightly projecting gabled end pavilions. A flight of steps leads to a central porch containing the main entrance, which features a wide segmental arched doorway with fielded panel double doors and glazed trefoil upper lights. Above the doorway is an ashlar frieze with relief foliate carving. On the first floor, a wide segmental arch displays relief ashlar carving of the Dukinfield coat of arms set in terracotta diaper work, above a large window with three coloured leaded glass upper lights and a central doorway onto a balcony on the porch roof. The gabled pavilions are each decorated with terracotta diaper work to the apex and a wide, shallow canted oriel window on the first floor. Each oriel window has stone transom side lights and a six-light stone mullion and transom central window with decorative coloured leaded glass to all upper lights. On the ground floor are two paired windows to each side of a single central window, all with stone transoms and shallow trefoil heads, some containing decorative coloured leaded glass and some lower lights etched with inscriptions of former council offices such as surveyor. A similar arrangement of windows in the basement features flat-headed, chamfered lintels. Flanking the main entrance are three bays on each side, separated by stepped buttresses topped by engaged stone columns with big cat sculptures; the third bay is slightly projecting. On the ground floor, two six-light mullion and transom windows are set under segmental arches, with an outer single transom window on either side. The first floor has segmental-arched windows; those located over the ground floor segmental arches are paired, with two lights over a single wider light. Basement windows are flat-headed. Brick ridge stacks originally had chimney pots, now removed.

The six-bay south side elevation is more irregular, featuring a projecting chimney stack to the left surmounted by four diamond-set brick and stone stacks, a wide doorway with a segmental-arched overlight containing decorative coloured leaded glass and narrow side-lights, and a first-floor oriel window to the right. The oriel window and other windows follow the design of those in the front elevation. A mullion and transom window above the doorway has a relief carved foliate tympanum. The doorway is now reached by a modern step and ramp arrangement. A blue circular plaque commemorates John Gollard (1942–1993), composer and musician. The five-bay north side elevation is similarly detailed, with a projecting chimney stack with four diamond-set stacks to the right and a centrally placed first-floor oriel window. The basement features a modern door and windows serving the police station.

The main entrance opens via the porch into the stair hall. The porch floor is laid with mosaic incorporating the Dukinfield coat of arms and motto "INTEGRITY", with half-glazed and panelled double inner doors featuring glazed overlights in Art Nouveau inspired coloured leaded glass, matching the upper lights of the outer elevation windows. Coloured leaded Art Nouveau glass is used extensively throughout the building, including in the arched side windows of the stair hall, windows in the rear walls of the principal corridors, doors, overlights, and glazed screens to principal rooms, and the ground-floor double doors and glazed screens between the corridors and stair hall (those to the first floor have plain glass). The stair hall and corridors have walls tiled with cream and green glazed tiles in a chequerboard pattern up to dado level, and terrazzo flooring with coloured borders. Most rooms opening off the corridors have wide nine-panelled doors with moulded architraves. The main stair rises in a single central flight to a half landing, then returns in two outer flights to the first floor, with a moulded wooden handrail and metal balustrade featuring scroll motifs. An arcade of three segmental-headed arches on both floors is formed by paired pink granite columns and pilasters with capitals that form into large square tops decorated with foliate work. Above is a square coved and coffered ceiling with a large central roof light containing coloured and painted glass. The former council chamber (George Hatton Hall) and Lesser Hall both have coved and coffered ceilings; the Lesser Hall is now subdivided by a partition wall and screen. The former mayor's parlour in the north-west corner of the first floor has a moulded cornice and coffered ceiling. Other rooms have moulded cornices, some now concealed by modern suspended ceilings. The former council chamber features panelling to dado level and a large wooden memorial. The mayor's parlour and Lesser Hall have carved timber mantelpieces incorporating mirrors in the over-mantels; the mayor's parlour has a 1930s fire surround, and the Lesser Hall fireplace has been blocked. A number of other rooms have simpler original timber moulded mantelpieces with later fire surrounds.

In front of the building is a stepped brick area wall with stone coping and iron railings. A circular blue plaque commemorates Lieutenant Colonel Robert Dukenfield (1616–1689), Lord of the Manor and a commander in the Parliamentary forces during the Civil War.

The 1936 Jubilee Hall attached to the rear (east) side and modern infill of light wells are not of special interest.