Kingston upon Thames Guildhall
The Kingston upon Thames Guildhall is a guildhall in Kingston upon Thames in England. It is situated in the High Street, adjacent to the Hogsmill River. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]
Kingston upon Thames Guildhall | |
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Location | Kingston upon Thames |
Coordinates | 51.40850°N 0.30618°W |
Built | 1935 |
Architect | Maurice Webb |
Architectural style(s) | Neo-Georgian style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Designated | 6 October 1983 |
Reference no. | 1080065 |
Shown in Kingston upon Thames |
History
In the early 20th century the local council had met at "Clattern House", which has since been demolished.[2] The current building, which was designed by Maurice Webb in the Neo-Georgian style,[3] was built at a cost of £130,000 and completed in 1935.[2] It was established as the headquarters of the Municipal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames.[2]
It is a neo-Georgian red brick building with Portland stone dressings and tiled roof, done to a semi-circular plan. To the centre of the semi-circular elevation is a massive square tower with a low octagonal spire and fluted corner pinnacles. The central entrance is in the base of the tower. Above it is a two-storey, round headed window set in an open pedimented stone niche with simplified Corinthian columns rising from a corbelled balcony.[1] Pictorial references to the Thames are displayed upon a keystone inside the niche, and on the corbels, capitals and iron gates. The coat of arms of Kingston is set further up the tower.[1] Inside, there is a marble lined circular entrance hall, and a central staircase with original opaque glass semi-spherical lamps.[1]
The building became the administrative headquarters of the larger Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council in 1965 and, in order to accommodate a larger number of staff, was extended in 1968.[4]
The Guildhall ceased being a magistrates' court in 2011 and re-opened as the "Old Court House" in September 2015.[5]
References
- Historic England. "The Guildhall, Kingston upon Thames (1080065)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
- "London's Town Halls". Historic England. p. 138. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- Hibbert, Christopher (2008). The London encyclopaedia. London: Macmillan. ISBN 1405049243.
- Nairn, Ian; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (1982). Surrey (The Buildings of England). Pevsner Architectural Guides. p. 332. ISBN 9780140710212.
- "About the Old Court House". Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council. Retrieved 26 August 2019.