Huddersfield Town Hall Including Wall And Railings To Area

Huddersfield Town Hall is a large public building constructed in two phases between 1875 and 1881. The lower section fronts onto Ramsden Street, while the upper section extends to Princess Street. J.H. Abbey was the architect of the upper section. The building is constructed of ashlar stone and has a basement, two storeys, and a complex arrangement of architectural elements.

The earlier section facing Ramsden Street has a moulded eaves cornice supported by stone brackets, a parapet with panelled dies and urns, and a ground floor with horizontal rustication. There is an entablature above the ground floor, and a continuous moulded impost band above the first floor. It has seven window ranges, with segment-headed windows on the ground floor set in recessed panels with fielded panels in the aprons, and round-arched windows on the first floor, each featuring keystones and moulded voussoirs. Steps lead up to the entrance, which is framed by a porch in antis, flanked by paired columns supporting a full entablature with a parapet. A low wall fronts the building with cast iron railings at either end, decorative finials, and stone piers featuring fielded panels, moulded cornices, and urns.

The later section incorporates full entablatures to both the ground and first floors, with modillion detailing, and a dentil-detailed eaves cornice. A panelled parapet with moulded coping tops the structure. The ground floor features horizontally rusticated angle piers, and the first floor is dominated by a giant Corinthian order. It has three window ranges, round-arched with sculpted masks on the keystones, moulded voussoirs, and impost bands. Ground floor and central first-floor windows are subdivided by slender colonnettes framing two round arches with oculus in the spandrels. Sculpted panels are positioned above the flanking first-floor windows. The central bay projects forward and is crowned by a segmental pediment. A round-arched porch in antis is flanked by paired pilasters supporting consoles to the cornice. The side elevations incorporate nine ranges of sashes, with end bays breaking forward and crowned by segmental pediments.

The Concert Hall, part of the later section, is richly decorated in a monumental style, featuring giant pilasters, a coved ceiling with moulded stress beams, an apsed organ recess, a gallery supported by iron columns, and two upper galleries. Windows are accentuated by large keystones with masks. The interior displays extremely lavish stucco ornament on the front of balconies, window spandrels, the frieze, and soffits of the ceiling beams. Ceilings and arches throughout the building also feature elaborate stucco ornament, along with intricate wooden door surrounds. The staircase is distinguished by elaborately twisted iron balusters. According to historical records, the Huddersfield Choral Society gave a performance during the building’s opening festival in 1881, receiving high praise from conductor Sir Charles Halle.