Town Hall Including Screens And Public Lavatories Adjoining North East And South

The following building shall be added to the list:-

BRAINTREE MARKET SQUARE TL 7523 (east side) Town Hall 1/10000 including screens and public lavatories adjoining NE and S

GV II*

Town Hall, now used as public information centre, museum etc. 1926-8. By Vincent Harris financed by gift of W J Courtauld. Red Flemish bond brick with Portland stone dressings, porch and cupola. Concrete roof structure. Hipped plain tile roof. Double-pile plan with spine corridor, expressed externally as U-plan with flat roof over stair hall between the wings at rear. Two storeys and basement with Piano Nobile. 5-bay front. Moulded cornice and first floor band; sill band to ground floor windows and plinth. Central Doric porch surmounted by balustrade with urns at angles. Unequal 20-pane sashes. Piano Nobile. 24-pane sashes in moulded architraves with cornices and aprons. Central French windows beneath fixed light. Architrave with consoles to egg-and-dart cornice and foliate volute supporters. Doric cupola in three stages with dome surmounted by female figure with mirror representing motto 'Hold to the Truth'. Clock face and coat of arms. Side elevations three bays with similar detailing to front, but two 24-pane sashes to first floor with small square central light. Similar detailing to rear except round-headed stained glass window to stairhall in eared architrave with key block and carved spandrels. Screen wall to north elevation has pair of round-headed pedestrian gates, dwarf wall and pair of gateposts surmounted by urns with wrought iron gates. Screen wall to South elevation with central gates and public conveniences to rear. Interior: Complete decorative scheme survives virtually unaltered with panelled rooms and door and light fittings etc. Principal features are the stone entrance hall; vaulted spine corridor; Imperial staircase with wrought iron balustrade. First floor Council Chamber barrel-vaulted with scenes painted on copper panels in the lunettes by Maurice Greiffenhagen, RA. Chairman's room murals of the Four Seasons by Henry Rushbury RA, and a County map on the ceiling.

Listing NGR: TL7585423018