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by | Mar 15, 2018 | Calluna

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Holmfirth Civic Hall is a historic municipal building in Holmfirth, a town in West Yorkshire in England. The civic hall, which is currently used as a public events venue, is a Grade II listed building.[1]

History

The building was originally financed by public subscription and commissioned by the Holmfirth and Literary and Philosophical Society as their meeting place.[2] The site selected was on the west side of the Huddersfield Road and construction work was underway by 1838.[3] It was designed in the neoclassical style, built in ashlar stone at a cost of £2,200 and was officially opened with a dinner, a concert and a ball as Holmfirth Town Hall in 1842.[4]

The magistrates also began holding their petty sessions there,[5] and it also became an important venue for public meetings: the champion of the campaign for a ten-hour working day, Richard Oastler, held a rally in the town hall in April 1844.[6] In March 1866, a new company, known as the Holmfirth Town Hall Company, was formed to acquire the building and to promote it more vigorously as a public events venue.[7]

In the early 1890s, the complex was extended to the southwest to create a drill hall. The drill hall was designed in the Tudor style, built in rubble masonry and was completed in 1892.[8] It was commissioned to serve as the home of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion of the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment.[9]

In 1946, Holmfirth Urban District Council purchased both buildings and refurbished them for public use: the complex was then re-opened as Holmfirth Civic Hall on 7 November 1947. However, the council continued to maintain their own offices at 49/51 Huddersfield Road until the council was abolished in 1974.[10][11][12]

The civic hall was transferred to the ownership of Holme Valley Parish Council and brought under the management of the newly-formed Holmfirth Civic Hall Community Trust in 2017.[13]

Architecture

The two-storey former town hall building is constructed of stone, and it has a flat roof. The main facade is to the south-east, and it has three central bays, with tall windows, and single-bay wings either side. The building is five bays deep.[1] The former drill hall is designed in the Tudor style, with a large hall and other rooms including an armoury.[9] The whole structure was grade II listed in 1983, along with its boundary wall and gate piers.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Historic England. "Civic Hall, boundary wall and gate piers (1227986)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  2. ^ Williams, Eileen (1975). Holmfirth From Forest to Township. Advertiser Press. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-0900028205.
  3. ^ "History". Holmfirth.info. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Holmfirth Town Hall". Leeds Intelligencer. 30 July 1842.
  5. ^ Returns of clerks of petty sessions in England. House of Commons. 9 August 1845. p. 42.
  6. ^ Ward, J. T. (1962). "The Factory Movement, 1830–1855". Macmillan and Co. p. 294.
  7. ^ Return relating to Joint Stock Companies. House of Commons. 20 July 1866. p. 79.
  8. ^ "Our history". The Civic Holmfirth. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Holmfirth's old Drill Hall; We're on the blue plaque heritage trail". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. 25 May 2011. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Guide to Tendering for Public Contracts in Ireland and the United Kingdom" (PDF). Enterprise Ireland. 2004. p. 78. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  11. ^ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
  12. ^ "No. 46030". The London Gazette. 17 July 1973. p. 8324.
  13. ^ "Case Study: Holmfirth Civic Hall Community Trust". Rebuilding Heritage. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2023.

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