The Diamond Jubilee Town Hall

421593557_772335128258039_1111315051763796798_n

You are looking at the remains of the Sessions House of Kirton House of Correction (Bridewell) but it wasn’t always here! The prison was located on Queen Street (then called Prison Lane) about 200m down the hill. This trail will take you to the original site later where you can find out more about the prison

The Ruined Prison Site

The town was in a poor state and a committee of leading gentlemen of the town was formed to solve the problem of the ruined prison site and the state of the Market Place. Following the closure of the prison in 1873, the solution was to build a Town Hall by transporting and re-using the Sessions House stone brickwork of the prison and rebuilding it on the site of the former pub (The Greyhound).

The Town Hall

The funding came from individual and public subscriptions and the timing was to link with, and celebrate, Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. The foundation stone was laid on 16th June 1897 but it took two years before the building was finished. The Diamond Jubilee Town Hall, as it was named, was officially opened on 14th June 1899 and the celebrations were organised over three days.

The Town Hall immediately became the most dominant building in the Market Place and stillperforms its original function as a focal point for the community providing services and activities. It is a registered charity managed on behalf of the community by a Board of Trustees.

In 1985 it was given Grade II Listed Building status by English Heritage in recognition of both its current architectural features and its unusual origins. In 2010 it underwent a major refurbishment and extension, this was achieved through a massive community fundraising effort which raised £1.2 million in grants and sponsorship. The main grant of £932,500 came from the Heritage Lottery Fund.