Town Hall

Town hall, former courthouse and police station, built 1861-1863 by the architects Bellamy and Hardy of Lincoln, with John Giles of London, and James Fowler of Louth as superintending architect, for Great Grimsby Corporation. The building underwent significant alterations and additions in 1887 by architects EW Farebrother and John Buchan of Grimsby, with builder Walter Binns, which included a new council chamber, banqueting room, entrance hall and main staircase. Later 20th-century additions and alterations were also made.

The building is constructed in yellow brick with ashlar dressings and a Welsh slate roof, designed in the Italianate palazzo style. It is rectangular in plan, with the main entrance and function room positioned on the north front, while the council chamber, former courtroom and police cells are located to the rear.

The north front is two storeys with a 1:7:1 bay arrangement, with the outer bays breaking forward. A moulded ashlar plinth and channelled rustication on the ground floor are complemented by boldly rusticated angles to the outer bays. A tetrastyle portico features double Corinthian columns with bold block rustication, and an entablature carved with boars' heads from the town arms in relief. Above is a balustraded balcony with piers carrying ogee finials. The entrance is flanked by double columns and pilasters, with a recessed partly glazed revolving door and side doors. The arcaded ground floor has rusticated piers, raised imposts and keyed segmental arches containing recessed segmental-arched windows. The outer bays feature a similar window within a central recessed panel.

The first floor comprises a central section with a pilastered round-arched arcade and tall recessed two-light windows, the arches topped with hoodmoulds bearing carved finials. Six roundels with projecting busts are positioned above, depicting Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, Archbishop Whitgift, King Edward III, the Earl of Yarborough and Gervase Holles. The outer bays have giant twin Corinthian pilasters flanking a single window in an eared architrave with triangular pediment and balustraded apron; above each is a single square plaque bearing a painted relief of the town arms. The entablature at eaves features a modillioned cornice and a balustraded parapet with square piers. Tall hipped roofs to the outer bays are lit by round-headed dormer windows.

The right return comprises two distinct builds. The main range of three bays echoes the details of the main front, with a central door and flanking windows beneath keyed segmental arches, and pedimented first-floor sashes with blind square panels above. The lower two-storey, five-bay section from the 1887 additions (Courthouse and Council Chamber) features quoins and an arcaded ground floor with rusticated piers and keyed round arches. An entrance to the right has a panelled double door and overlight beneath a rusticated arch with a relief inscription reading "COURT HOUSE". Recessed three-light mullioned and transomed windows are set within. A bold first-floor string course is followed by tall first-floor windows with stained glass in eared architraves, sill string courses and panelled aprons; the central apron bears a foundation tablet dated 18th August 1887, inscribed with the names of the architects, builder and others. Above are lunettes with radial glazing bars, keyed architraves and sill string courses. The section terminates with a coved eaves cornice.

The left return is arranged in three builds, comprising 2:8:3 bays. The rightmost three-bay section echoes the right return design. The central eight-bay section has a door to the left of centre beneath a blind round arch, a four-bay arcaded section to the right with rusticated piers and keyed round arches containing recessed three-light round-headed windows, and to the left, three sashes and a casement beneath two wide blind arches. A moulded first-floor string course is followed by first-floor two-light windows in eared architraves. A later addition to the left, in matching style and materials, comprises a pair of doors and four ground-floor sashes beneath lintels, with two first-floor windows in architraves above.

The interior entrance hall contains a screen of Doric columns with round arches. The staircase hall features a columned Venetian window, shell-headed alcoves, a dentilled cornice and a deeply coved ceiling. A stone imperial staircase with heavy balusters and piers carrying griffins holding the town arms rises through the space.

The main assembly room occupies the first-floor front and features a wall arcade of Composite pilasters, a coved and panelled plasterwork ceiling with pendants and roses, and a gallery with a cast-iron balustrade.

The banqueting room, located on the first floor to the rear left, has a dado, Doric pilasters, frieze and panelled ceiling.

The council chamber, positioned on the first floor to the rear right, displays elaborate wood panelling with Ionic pilasters and pedimented overdoors. An Ionic wall arcade features ornate plasterwork frieze and cornice, with a coved ceiling bearing panels and pendants. The chamber contains richly carved furnishings and windows in architraves with stained-glass coats of arms dated 1957.

Former prison cells occupy the rear centre, arranged in a row of five, each with a barrel vault and original doors. A second range of cells is represented by surviving doors and corridor. The former exercise yard is now a room. The former courtroom, adjoining to the rear right, is now used as a function room and also serves as the Mayor's Court.