Civic Hall

The Civic Hall, originally the Town Hall, was built in 1868 by the architects Mallinson and Barber from Halifax. It has served various purposes over the years, functioning as a theatre from 1880, a magistrates court from 1898, and a cinema from 1902 until 1959. It was reopened as a Civic Hall in 1968. The building features a first-floor hall above ground-floor shops and is set at a splayed angle to the two front streets.

Constructed from hammer-dressed stone with ashlar dressings and a slate roof, the facade on Bethel Street is three storeys high with five symmetrical bays. The ground floor showcases rusticated bands and three segmental arched window openings, which have joggled voussoirs and a vermiculated keystone. These are flanked by semi-circular arched doorways with moulded heads and projecting keystones.

On the first floor, there are four sash windows, some retaining their original twelve panes, set within an elliptical arch with a keystone and a cornice. The outer bays are topped with pediments, above which are circular blind openings with two-light mullioned windows in plain surrounds. The building also features a band, cornice, and a blocking course, topped with a hipped roof and a central stack.

The right-hand return wall facing Bradford Road has two similar ground floor windows in a seven-bay facade. This section is two storeys tall, with the first floor containing sash windows, the outer ones retaining their twelve-pane glazing, set within a blind arcade featuring semi-circular arches with hoodmoulds and keystones. The outer bays have a shell motif within the arch, and circles are placed between each bay.