Building record 1160/0/66 - The Guildhall

Built between 1861-4 by E.W.Godwin; extended to west 1889-92 by A.W.Jeffrey & M.Holding; richly decorated building in C13th Gothic style; brown & grey stone with Welsh slate roof; 2 main storeys.

{1} 1861-4 by E W Godwin. Extended on west, 1899-92, by A W Jeffrey and Matthew Holding. Richly decorated building in C13 Gothic style, of brown and grey stone with Welsh slated roof. 2 main storeys, 14 bay front. Arcaded ground floor has windows with plate tracery, carved panels in tympana. Upper windows interspersed with canopied statues on pedestals. Godwin's eastern half has vaulted central entrance loggia of 3 bays with balcony above under clock tower with steeply pitched roof. West addition of 3 bays (reduced to 2 on 1st floor) rising to gable with large corner pinnacles. Hall with mural paintings by Colin Gill, 1925, and fine council chamber. Contains statue, 1817 by Chantrey, of Spencer Perceval, Prime Minister 1809-12.

{2} Built between 1861-4 by E.W.Godwin; extended to west 1889-92 by A.W.Jeffrey & M.Holding; richly decorated building in C13th Gothic style; brown & grey stone with Welsh slate roof; 2 main storeys.

{3} Godwin's designs for the tiled floor and wall tiling of the council chamber have survived in the Victoria and Albert Museum. They include Godwin's earliest known individual tile design, dating from around 1863, which was intended to be used in a band of glazed tiles on the lower part of the wall. These were not executed, probably due to financial constraints in the fitting out phase of construction; it is unclear whether the the pavement was unexecuted or had simply not survived. Gradidge recreated the pavement from Godwin's drawings, which show the tiles forming a mostly geometric border in black, buff and red around a central oak floor. The major decorative element was the inclusion of the town's coat of arms.

{12} In the Godwin Room, the former council chamber, are the original table, chairs and two fireplaces all designed by Godwin in a style reminiscent of Burges. All the main interiors were restored and refurbished in 1991-2 undert eh direction of Richard Gradidge.

{13} (SP 75576048) Guildhall (NAT)

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 2+4/75 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1976, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), H14 p.116 (checked) (Catalogue). SNN1000.

<3> Pearson L., 2003, Gazeteer of British Tile and Architectural Ceramic Sites: County Draft, Northamptonshire, p.2 (unchecked) (Gazetteer). SNN103233.

<4> Page W. (ed), 1930, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire- The Borough of Northampton, p.37 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100370.

<6> Winfield R.A., 1935, The Guildhall, Northampton, (unchecked) (Plan). SNN107084.

<7> 1948, The Guildhall, Northampton, (unchecked) (Plan). SNN107085.

<8> NORTHAMPTON BOROUGH COUNCIL, The Guildhall, Northampton, (unchecked) (Leaflet). SNN107830.

<9> Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society, 2011, TACS (Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society) Location Database, (unchecked) (Gazetteer). SNN107648.

<10> Whitmore R., 2002, The Northampton Women's Social and Political Union, 1912-1914, p.65-72 (unchecked) (Article). SNN102630.

<11> Coupland P.M., 2000, The Blackshirts in Northampton, 1933-1940 (Article). SNN102517.

<12> Bailey, B, Pevsner, N, and Cherry, B, 2013, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p. 441-2 (Book). SNN111989.

<13> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 1:2500 1964 (Map). SNN112944.

<14> Undated, The Guildhall, St. Giles' Square, Northampton, BF099432 (Archive). SNN113655.

Record last edited

May 13 2025 4:09PM