Guildhall, Lichfield
Encyclopedia
The Guildhall is a historic building in the centre of Lichfield
, Staffordshire
in the United Kingdom
. Located in Bore Street the Guildhall has been central to the government of the City for over 600 years, and in former times was not only the meeting place of the Corporation but also at various times the court, prison, police station, theatre and fire station. The Guildhall takes its name from the ancient Guild of St Mary and St John the Baptist, whose hall stood from very early times on this site. It is not known when the first Guildhall was erected but it is believed to have been around 1387, when Richard II confirmed the incorporation of the Guild which even then had been in existence for many years. The Guildhall is a Grade II Listed Building.
The old prison for felons and debtors is at the rear of the building and has been in existence since 1553. From here have issued various convicts condemned to be publicly hanged at the gallows
. Major rebuilding took place in 1707 and 1741 when the building was described as being so ruinous that it was in danger of falling down. Most of the present ground floor, and the smaller rooms at first and second floor level at the rear of the building date from this period. A century later the building was once more in a very poor state of repair and, in 1844 the Conduit Lands Trust agreed to provide £2,500 and constructed the building which stands today. The hall and frontage was rebuilt in 1846-48 by Joseph Potter Jnr.It is these works which created the gothic-style
frontage to Bore Street and the magnificent panelled main hall on the first floor. This room is 87ft long by 25ft wide and, with its high pitched roof and hammer beams
, has a fine medieval
appearance. At the north end there is a large stone tracery
stained-glass window. This was originally in the north transept of the Cathedral
and was transferred to the Guildhall in 1891.
Major refurbishment and repair works have recently been completed to restore this building as befits its historic significance, and to provide improved facilities for its use by the public. The main hall and various smaller rooms are widely hired out for public meetings, dances and as function rooms, and there is a lively programme of arts events and concerts run by the Lichfield District Arts Association. Civil marriages can take place at the Guildhall. The Guildhall is used for Council meetings and civic events including the ancient Court of Arraye
and St George's Court.
Lichfield
Lichfield is a cathedral city, civil parish and district in Staffordshire, England. One of eight civil parishes with city status in England, Lichfield is situated roughly north of Birmingham...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Located in Bore Street the Guildhall has been central to the government of the City for over 600 years, and in former times was not only the meeting place of the Corporation but also at various times the court, prison, police station, theatre and fire station. The Guildhall takes its name from the ancient Guild of St Mary and St John the Baptist, whose hall stood from very early times on this site. It is not known when the first Guildhall was erected but it is believed to have been around 1387, when Richard II confirmed the incorporation of the Guild which even then had been in existence for many years. The Guildhall is a Grade II Listed Building.
The old prison for felons and debtors is at the rear of the building and has been in existence since 1553. From here have issued various convicts condemned to be publicly hanged at the gallows
Gallows
A gallows is a frame, typically wooden, used for execution by hanging, or by means to torture before execution, as was used when being hanged, drawn and quartered...
. Major rebuilding took place in 1707 and 1741 when the building was described as being so ruinous that it was in danger of falling down. Most of the present ground floor, and the smaller rooms at first and second floor level at the rear of the building date from this period. A century later the building was once more in a very poor state of repair and, in 1844 the Conduit Lands Trust agreed to provide £2,500 and constructed the building which stands today. The hall and frontage was rebuilt in 1846-48 by Joseph Potter Jnr.It is these works which created the gothic-style
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
frontage to Bore Street and the magnificent panelled main hall on the first floor. This room is 87ft long by 25ft wide and, with its high pitched roof and hammer beams
Hammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof, in architecture, is the name given to an open timber roof, typical of English Gothic architecture, using short beams projecting from the wall.- Design :...
, has a fine medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
appearance. At the north end there is a large stone tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
stained-glass window. This was originally in the north transept of the Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral
Lichfield Cathedral is situated in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It is the only medieval English cathedral with three spires. The Diocese of Lichfield covers all of Staffordshire, much of Shropshire and part of the Black Country and West Midlands...
and was transferred to the Guildhall in 1891.
Major refurbishment and repair works have recently been completed to restore this building as befits its historic significance, and to provide improved facilities for its use by the public. The main hall and various smaller rooms are widely hired out for public meetings, dances and as function rooms, and there is a lively programme of arts events and concerts run by the Lichfield District Arts Association. Civil marriages can take place at the Guildhall. The Guildhall is used for Council meetings and civic events including the ancient Court of Arraye
Court of Arraye
A Court of Arraye was a method of ascertaining numbers of men capable of fighting in towns and cities before England had a standing army....
and St George's Court.