Birkenhead Town Hall
| Birkenhead Town Hall | |
|---|---|
 |
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Classical |
| Address | Hamilton Street, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 5BR |
| Coordinates | 53°23′36″N 3°00′52″W / 53.39333°N 3.01444°WCoordinates: 53°23′36″N 3°00′52″W / 53.39333°N 3.01444°W |
| Construction started | 1883 |
| Completed | 1887 |
| Renovated | 2001 |
| Height | 200 ft (clock tower) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Christopher Obee Ellison |
| Architecture firm | C O Ellison & Son |
Birkenhead Town Hall is a town hall and former civic building in Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. The building was the former administrative headquarters of the County Borough of Birkenhead, and more recently, council offices for the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Birkenhead Town Hall remains the location of the town's register office. However, since the closure of the Wirral Museum in 2010, the future purpose of the Grade II* listed building is uncertain.
When Hamilton Square was designed in the early 19th century, a plot of land was made available for the siting of a town hall between Hamilton Street and Chester Street. However, it wasn't until 1887 that the current building was completed. Designed by local architect Christopher Ellison in 1882, the building was constructed using Scottish granite and sandstone from the now filled in local quarry at Storeton.
The building consisted of a council chamber, offices, with a concert hall and function rooms known as the Assembly Rooms. Birkenhead's magistrates' court chambers are located in a separate building of the same design to the rear. The clock tower is 200 feet in height and consists of four faces. After a fire in 1901, the upper part of the clock tower was rebuilt to a design by Henry Hartley. The rebuilding included a stained glass window by Gilbert P. Gamon representing Edward I's visit to Birkenhead Priory in 1277.
Despite the abolition of the County Borough of Birkenhead on 1 April 1974, the building continued to be used as council offices until the early 1990s, when work was undertaken to restore the external stonework and many interior decorations and features, including the former council chamber.
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