169:
354:, but continues to use the town halls in both Retford and Worksop for meetings. It is also used for concerts, wedding receptions and other events. The original design has been altered over the years. A new Mayor's Parlour was opened on the ground floor in 1935, replacing a pair of offices at the front of the building. In about 1980 the first floor was expanded into the 'Old Bank' building next door, which had been bought by Retford Borough Council in 1926 and was being used as municipal offices. The bells were replaced in 1901, and the following year a new clock was installed by
31:
367:
257:, of a very antiquated appearance, containing a bell, but no clock. This bell was rung at the commencement of the markets, and was also used for summoning the inhabitants to attend the courts, and the Council sessions, etc." Later a clock was added. The main hall was 70 ft (21 m) long and 26 ft (7.9 m) wide, and was "extremely well lighted by twelve square-headed windows". In addition to being used for the
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ran through the centre of the town and the building and markets were causing congestion. In 1868 it was demolished and a new site chosen to the south of the current market place, which had previously been the site of a four-storey 18th-century townhouse. This site was purchased from Cooke's & Co
282:
were selected. Permission was sought from the Lords
Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury to raise a mortgage of £9,000 for the land and building costs. This was not popular with the town's inhabitants. Permission was eventually granted with a Retford resident, George Chapman, agreeing to provide
322:
Internally, the principal rooms were the council chamber (fronting the Market Square and measuring 40 ft (12 m) by 23 ft (7.0 m)) and the ballroom (to the south, measuring 90 ft (27 m) by 40 ft (12 m)), both on the first floor and accessed by a
252:
for the weekly market. Other markets, for example, egg and butter, were held outside on the east side, and the corn market was held in the nearby market square. The building was described by local historian John Piercy in 1828: “The roof was surmounted by a small
261:
and public meetings, was "appropriated to the performance of theatrical and other amusements" according to Piercy. Another room, which was used by the grand jury at
Quarter Sessions, was connected to the hall "by means of a pair of folding doors".
343:(October 1867) and the facade compared unfavourably with a design submitted by Godwin & Crisp. Pevsner criticised the design saying it was "without any of the Victorian qualities we appreciate today: a bad mansard roof and a bad lantern".
286:
The foundation stone for the new building was laid by the mayor on 19 June 1866. A time capsule with a copy of The Times newspaper and one of almost every 1866 coin was placed under the foundation stone. The
Bellamy and Hardy design was in the
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This design was controversial. The local press described the building as 'handsome and commodious' and 'replete with convenience' But the design was used as an example of the sometimes unsatisfactory results of architectural competitions by
243:
by Messrs White and Watson. This was completed in 1755. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with seven bays facing onto the Market Place; the central section of three bays was pedimented and featured a
335:, capable of cooking a first-class dinner for 500 people". Below the ballroom was a poultry market, and additional buildings were also provided to the south for the corn exchange and shambles.
229:
was built in
Retford in 1388 on a different site to the present town hall, in between the old market place and St Swithun's church, to the North of the current market place. It was a
291:, in red brick with stone dressings. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing onto The Square; the end bays featured doorways flanked by paired
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A new moot hall was built to replace the one destroyed by fire but by August 1754 it was in danger of collapse. The corporation of East
Retford decided to demolish it.
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331:. At the rear of the ballroom, a residence was provided for the hall-keeper, and there was also a kitchen "fitted up with a Leamington
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Bank for £2,600 in June 1864. A condition of the sale was that a new road should also be built, which was to become
Exchange Street.
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346:
The building continued to serve as a meeting place for
Retford Borough Council for much of the 20th century. When the enlarged
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303:; there were five round headed windows with balconies forming an arcade on the first floor and a large cupola, clock and
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Other works of art include a portrait of
Colonel Whittaker by Henry Harris Brown (1864-1948), Thomas Bescoby (1890) by
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A design competition took place and a budget of £6,000 was agreed. Eighteen architects submitted designs, but
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358:. The Courthouse was replaced in the 1930s. The Shambles and Corn Exchange were demolished in the 1980s.
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timbered structure and was destroyed by the fire which devastated three-quarters of
Retford in 1528.
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Annals of
Nottinghamshire: History of the County of Nottingham, including the Borough · Volume III
469:"The history of Retford with an historical account of the villages of West Retford, Babworth etc"
288:
110:
248:. This hall provided a venue for assemblies, a court house for local and county sessions, and a
204:, England. The town hall, which was the meeting place of Retford Borough Council, is a grade II
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The 1528 moot hall was replaced with another building on the same site designed in the
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of York transferred the clock from the old town hall into the new, and added a set of
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the funds and local builder Thomas Hopkinson being awarded the construction tender.
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637:(2nd ed.). Wadhurst, E. Sussex: Antiquarian Horological Society. p. 20.
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Turret Clocks: Lists of Clocks from Makers' Catalogues and Publicity Materials
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The British Architect: A Journal of Architecture and the Accessory Arts
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which was donated to the town by Alderman Denman to commemorate the
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327:. Immediately to the east of the council chamber was the mayor's
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319:, (the latter having been funded by public subscription).
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The 1755 town hall became an obstruction to traffic as
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Municipal building in Retford, Nottinghamshire, England
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was formed in 1974 it established its main offices in
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Works of art in the town hall include a portrait of
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622:. London: Simpkin, Marshall and Co. p. 1227.
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700:Pevner, Nikolaus; Williamson, Elizabeth (1979).
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896:Grade II listed buildings in Nottinghamshire
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704:. Yale University Press. pp. 296–7.
702:The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire
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531:The Thoroton Society of Nottinghamshire
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196:is a municipal building in The Square,
886:City and town halls in Nottinghamshire
881:Government buildings completed in 1868
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861:"Discover Artworks, Retford Town Hall"
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617:
466:
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750:"Council minutes, 21 September 2023"
726:Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70
655:"Opening of Retford New Town Hall".
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471:. Longman, Rees and Co. p. 140.
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728:. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997.
208:. It is still used for meetings of
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446:National Heritage List for England
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383:Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria
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675:"Illustrations of Competitions"
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681:. 11 October 1867. p. 702
594:"History of Retford Town Hall"
571:"A history of Nottinghamshire"
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475:
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1:
837:Kennington, Thomas Benjamin.
633:Pickford, Chris, ed. (1995).
482:Davison-Reed, Nicola (2012).
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839:"Queen Victoria (1819–1901)"
816:"Portrait of Queen Victoria"
663:(1304): 77. 1 February 1868.
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414:Listed buildings in Retford
407:
396:, Thomas William Denman by
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754:Bassetlaw District Council
398:Thomas Benjamin Kennington
379:Thomas Benjamin Kennington
348:Bassetlaw District Council
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210:Bassetlaw District Council
400:and John Smith (1868) by
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35:Retford Town Hall in 2012
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569:Cornelius Brown (1896).
467:Piercy, John S. (1828).
183:Shown in Nottinghamshire
804:: 340. 7 November 1902.
618:Bailey, Thomas (1853).
488:. Amberley Publishing.
307:at roof level. In 1867
392:, JW Holmes (1919) by
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107:Architectural style(s)
441:"Town Hall (1370374)"
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266:The current town hall
775:"Catering and costs"
485:Retford Through Time
272:The Great North Road
818:. The Victorian Web
777:. Bassetlaw Council
596:. Bassetlaw Council
559:Piercy 1828, p. 142
550:Piercy 1828, p. 144
527:"Retford Town Hall"
356:John Smith of Derby
309:T. Cooke & Sons
295:columns supporting
69: /
402:Hugh Ford Crighton
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317:Westminster chimes
241:neoclassical style
147:Reference no.
73:53.3223°N 0.9432°W
390:Edwin Arthur Ward
280:Bellamy and Hardy
221:Earlier buildings
194:Retford Town Hall
191:
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142:12 September 1977
101:Bellamy and Hardy
24:Retford Town Hall
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362:Works of art
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305:roof lantern
297:entablatures
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44:The Square,
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759:20 December
657:The Builder
293:Ionic order
246:clock tower
76: /
52:Coordinates
875:Categories
845:22 January
822:22 January
781:5 February
685:22 January
600:22 January
452:22 January
420:References
139:Designated
125:– Grade II
61:53°19′20″N
227:moot hall
134:Town Hall
97:Architect
64:0°56′36″W
841:. Art UK
408:See also
250:shambles
231:medieval
41:Location
891:Retford
352:Worksop
329:parlour
216:History
198:Retford
150:1370374
46:Retford
732:
708:
492:
255:cupola
333:range
89:Built
847:2021
824:2021
783:2021
761:2023
730:ISBN
706:ISBN
687:2021
661:XXVI
602:2021
490:ISBN
454:2021
92:1868
377:by
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225:A
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