The Guildhall

The Guildhall is a timber-frame building with brick infill on a stone plinth, dating to the 15th century and extensively restored in 1915 by W.J. Fieldhouse. It originally served as the Guildhall for the Guild of Holy Trinity and St John, and part of it now functions as a library. The building has a gabled roof, renewed tiles, and a 20th-century brick cross-axial stack with two diagonal shafts and a rear lateral stack. It is arranged with a three-unit and cross-passage plan.

The exterior is two storeys high with a five-window range. The left return is jettied. The central-left entrance and one entrance on the right end have four-centred heads and moulded Tudor-headed arches framing plank doors, the right-end door having an overlight and small-paned glazed panel, each protected by a bracketed hood. Windows have leaded glazing. The ground floor features three large windows with bowed small-paned glazing, while the first floor has four-light wood-mullioned windows. Curved iron brackets support a gutter, with lead downspouts featuring an enriched rainwater head. Late 20th-century painted shields are located below the first-floor windows. The left return displays close studding on both floors, with small windows to the ground floor. The right return mirrors the front entrance and includes a small first-floor light with stained glass.

The rear elevation features two external lateral stacks, one with two enriched octagonal shafts, and an entrance up stone steps to the left end, leading to a battened door. The steps have a wooden balustrade. The rear ground floor has two five-light transomed windows and three windows with single lights. The first-floor windows match the front.

The interior ground floor has been altered to include a staircase to the first floor. The first floor retains three roof trusses with arch-braced cambered tie beams, five struts and collars, and mortices indicating former partitions. There are also wind braces. A south window incorporates reset 15th-century stained glass depicting a figure of St Anthony and the Arms of Lord Dudley, dating from 1440-87.

The building occupies an important position adjacent to the church.