The Town Hall

The Town Hall, built between 1892 and 1895, is a late 19th-century example by G. A. Fox, a local architect. It is constructed of sandstone ashlar with a lead roof and is of group value. The design is Classical in style with a Baroque domed tower. The building is two storeys high with a basement and has a symmetrical 13-bay facade (5:3:5). The basement is rusticated with channelled stone supports, topped by a giant Composite order with freestanding columns in antis, except at the corners where pilasters project forward. The centre of the three wider bays projects further to form a hexastyle portico with a full entablature, accessed by a wide flight of steps leading to the main door, which has wrought-iron gates. Above the door is a Venetian window, and the pediment depicts a sculpture of Justice seeking advice from Queen Victoria, surrounded by figures representing Industries and Useful Arts. Flanking the main facade are balustraded parapets. The three-stage central tower has a rusticated base, a main bell stage with round arched openings and a balcony beneath, and a balustraded parapet with paired urns to the corners and short domed pinnacles. Above this is a set-back, pedimented clock stage, supporting a dome with a smaller dome on a drum. The left-hand return has 5, 4, and 5 bays respectively, with bays A and C projecting forward. Tall arched windows are present on the upper floors, featuring keystones and an impost band articulated by Composite pilasters. Bay C has a Greek key band and a doorway with consoles and a cornice. The right-hand return comprises 5, 5, and 4 bays, with the left-hand bay projecting and featuring composite columns, three tall first-floor windows, a rose medallion, and Greek key bands. There is also a doorway with consoles and a cornice. The interior features a grand entrance hall with a stone staircase, a wrought-iron balustrade, red marble columns, and stained glass windows depicting various professions. These lead to several large, well-finished rooms, some with coved ceilings, all featuring decorated plaster borders with varying decorative motifs. The Alexandra Concert Hall is a particular highlight, with a gallery around three sides, stone architraves, and more stained glass windows. The Council chamber, mayor's parlour, and banqueting suite have oak wainscoted panelling and large carved fireplaces, as well as good door and window woodwork. The magistrates’ court, also wainscoted, is plainer but features a larger rear pyramidal rooflight. The Town Hall is a prominent landmark within the town, notably due to its tower, and incorporates features derived from other earlier West Riding town halls.