Former Public Hall and Technical School

The building is a former public hall and technical school, dating from 1862. It was constructed by Lawrence Ashworth and initially intended for hire. The building is constructed of rock-faced sandstone with rusticated quoins and freestone dressings, and has a slate roof. It occupies a corner site with a modified rectangular plan, the right-hand end slightly projected.

The two-storey facade, over a basement, features 4:1:1 window bays. A moulded gutter cornice tops the facade. The central bay has a shallow, two-storeyed, pedimented porch containing a wide, pilastered doorway at ground floor with stepped pilasters. Above the doorway is a recessed door, a moulded cornice, a frieze with a sunk panel bearing the inscription "TECHNICAL SCHOOL", and a large six-pane window with an unusual shallow two-pane overlight. To the left, a four-window range features a doorway with pilaster jambs and a plain frieze. Basement areas are protected by simple iron railings. The ground floor windows have plain lintels, while the first-floor windows are round-headed with raised sills, dressed surrounds, imposts, and keystones; all windows have altered glazing. The projected right-hand bay has a tall, two-stage window. The right-hand gable, facing Nicholas Street, has three louvred basement windows, three tall round-headed windows with similar detailing to the front, restored glazing with radiating glazing bars, and wooden-louvred mid-sections. An oblong panel above the centre window is inscribed "PUBLIC HALL".

The interior of the building has not been inspected.

Historically, the building served as an assembly room, lecture hall, secular Sunday School, soup kitchen, and theatre. The Town Council acquired it in 1868, using it as a town hall until the opening of the new Town Hall on Manchester Road in 1888.

The building forms a group with Nos 18-24 Nicholas Street.