Barnsley Town Hall

{{Short description|Municipal building in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox historic site | name = Barnsley Town Hall | native_name = | image =BarnsleyTownHallVertical.jpg | caption =Barnsley Town Hall | locmapin =South Yorkshire | map_caption =Shown in South Yorkshire | coordinates ={{coord|53.5542|-1.4827|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}} | location =Barnsley | area = | built =1933 | architect = Sir Arnold Thornely | architecture =Classical style | governing_body = | designation1 =Grade II Listed Building | designation1_offname = | designation1_date =13 January 1986 | designation1_number =1151143 | website={{url|http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/}} }} '''Barnsley Town Hall''' is the seat of local government in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade II listed building.<ref name=nhle>{{NHLE|desc=Town Hall including attached railings|num=1151143|accessdate=24 July 2020}}</ref>

==Building== ===Design and construction=== The site selected for the new building in Church Street had previously been occupied by a row of domestic properties.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://barnsleyartonyourdoorstep.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Views-of-Old-Barnsley.pdf|page=313|title=Views of Old Barnsley|publisher=Barnsley Art On Your Doorstep|accessdate=24 July 2020}}</ref> The foundation stone for the building was laid by Councillor Robert Plummer, a former mayor, on 21 April 1932.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitoruk.com/Barnsley/20th-century-T2893.html|title=Timeline History of Barnsley|publisher=Visitor UK|accessdate=24 July 2020}}</ref> The facility, which was designed by Sir Arnold Thornely in the classical style and built of Portland stone at a cost of was £148,697, was officially opened by the Prince of Wales on 14 December 1933.<ref name=nhle/> The design included a large Corinthian distyle with pilasters on the first and second floors of the building<ref name=nhle/> as well as a {{convert|44|m}} high three-stage reducing central tower,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/advice/propertymarket/3302108/Will-Barnsley-have-the-last-laugh.html|title=Will Barnsley have the last laugh?|publisher=The Telegraph|date=18 May 2002|accessdate=24 July 2020}}</ref> incorporating a public clock by Gillett & Johnston.<ref>{{cite web |title=Advertisement: The Horological Journal, August 1939 |url=https://clockdoc.org/gs/handler/getmedia.ashx?moid=57290&dt=2&g=1}}</ref>

George Orwell, in his book ''The Road to Wigan Pier'', was highly critical of this expenditure, and said that the council should have spent the money on improving the housing and living conditions of the local miners.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Kind Of Compulsion: 1903 - 1936|first=George |last=Orwell|year=2015|publisher=Secker|isbn=978-1846559457|page=558|quote=total cost of new Town hall was £148,697 and was incurred at a time when the town admittedly needed ''over 2000'' houses, not to mention public baths.}}</ref>

===Museum=== In June 2013, Experience Barnsley, a museum dedicated to the history of the town and its people, which had previously been based in the old Central Library, moved into a part of the town hall which had been designated the "Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.experience-barnsley.com/barnsley-archives-and-local-studies-achieves-national-accreditation-|title=Barnsley Archives and Local Studies achieves national accreditation|publisher=Experience Barnsley |accessdate=24 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/heritage-and-retro/heritage/barnsley-bold-brass-town-where-sir-michael-parkinson-was-born-and-arctic-monkeys-studied-2657629|title=Barnsley, the bold as brass town where Sir Michael Parkinson was born and the Arctic Monkeys studied|date=2 May 2020|publisher=Yorkshire Post|accessdate=24 July 2020}}</ref> Exhibits put on display include a 5,000 year old axe head which was found at the Scout Dyke Reservoir near Penistone in the 1920s.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-23086661|title=Neolithic axe head in new museum Experience Barnsley|date=27 June 2013|publisher=BBC|accessdate=24 July 2020}}</ref>

==Adjacent to the building== ===War memorial=== The war memorial in front of the building, which predates the town hall, was sculpted by John Tweed and was unveiled at a ceremony attended by General Sir Charles Harington on 11 October 1925.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/2026|title=Barnsley|publisher=Imperial War Museum|accessdate=24 July 2020}}</ref>

===Barnsley Pals Centenary Square=== In September 2013 the Earl of Wessex, officially opened the Barnsley Pals Centenary Square on the south side of the town hall, which commemorates the lives of the Barnsley Pals who died in the First World War.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/video-prince-edward-honours-barnlsey-pals-1857411|title=Prince Edward honours Barnlsey Pals|date=16 September 2013|publisher=Yorkshire Post|accessdate=24 July 2020}}</ref>

==Visitors== Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the town hall and signed the visitors' book on 27 October 1954; the Royal Standard was flown from the mast on the central tower of the town hall during her visit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llCRGh8C1EY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211219/llCRGh8C1EY |archive-date=2021-12-19 |url-status=live|title=Queen Elizabeth II visits Barnsley|date=27 October 1954|publisher=Barnsley Museums|accessdate=24 July 2020}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/queen-elizabeth-2nd-visits-yorkshire|title=Queen Elizabeth II visits Yorkshire|date=27 October 1954|publisher=Yorkshire Film Archive|accessdate=24 July 2020}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Barnsley Town Hall}} *[http://www.experience-barnsley.com Experience Barnsley] *[http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/ Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council]

Category:Government buildings completed in 1933 Category:Buildings and structures in Barnsley Category:City and town halls in South Yorkshire