# Penrith Town Hall

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Municipal building in Penrith, Cumbria, England

Penrith Town Hall Penrith Town Hall Interactive map of Penrith Town Hall 54°40′00″N 2°45′16″W / 54.6667°N 2.7544°W / 54.6667; -2.7544 Location Corney Square, Penrith History Built 1906 Site notes Architect J. J. Knewstub Architectural style Renaissance Revival style Listed Building – Grade II Official name Penrith Town Hall Designated 25 July 2014 Reference no. 1420806

**Penrith Town Hall** is a municipal building in Corney Square, [Penrith, Cumbria](/source/Penrith%2C_Cumbria), England. The structure, which was the headquarters of [Eden District Council](/source/Eden_District), is a Grade II [listed building](/source/Listed_building).[1]

## History

The current building has its origins in a pair of identical, late 18th century, [neoclassical style](/source/Neoclassical_architecture) houses; the left hand building was once occupied by a local clinician, Dr Livingstone, and the right hand house was once occupied by the former [East Indiaman](/source/East_Indiaman) commander, John Wordsworth, who was a cousin of the poet, [William Wordsworth](/source/William_Wordsworth).[1][2]

Following significant population growth, largely associated with the status of Penrith as a market town, the area became an [urban district](/source/Urban_district_(Great_Britain_and_Ireland)) in 1895.[3] The new civic leaders decided to acquire the two buildings and to combine them into a single municipal structure.[4] The [Scottish-American](/source/Scottish_Americans) [industrialist](/source/Industrialist) and [philanthropist](/source/Philanthropy), [Andrew Carnegie](/source/Andrew_Carnegie), made a contribution of £1,200 towards the cost of the construction to support the inclusion of a public library.[1] Progress was temporarily delayed when it was thought, incorrectly, that the houses had been designed by [Robert Adam](/source/Robert_Adam): nevertheless, following the intervention of Canon [Hardwicke Rawnsley](/source/Hardwicke_Rawnsley), much of the interiors of the two houses was retained.[1]

The new structure was designed by the district surveyor, J. J. Knewstub, in the [Renaissance Revival style](/source/Renaissance_Revival_architecture), built in red sandstone from [Lazonby](/source/Lazonby) with buff sandstone dressings from [Stanton Moor](/source/Stanton_Moor) and was completed in 1906.[1] The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage with six bays facing onto Corney Square.[1] The second bay on the left, which slightly projected forward, featured a pair of round headed windows on the ground floor flanked by [Corinthian order](/source/Corinthian_order) [pilasters](/source/Pilaster) supporting an [entablature](/source/Entablature) and a [balustrade](/source/Balustrade); there were two round headed windows on the first floor separated by a Corinthian order column and flanked by Corinthian order pilasters supporting a [modillioned](/source/Modillion) [cornice](/source/Cornice) and, at roof level, there was a blind [dormer](/source/Dormer) containing a panel bearing the [coat of arms](/source/Coat_of_arms) of the town.[1] The fourth bay on the left, which was also elaborate and also slightly projected forward, featured a short flight of steps leading up to a doorway with a [fanlight](/source/Fanlight) flanked by pairs of Corinthian order columns and, beyond that, Corinthian order pilasters supporting an entablature inscribed with the words "Town Hall" and a balustrade; there were two round headed windows on the first floor flanked by columns and pilasters supporting a modillioned cornice and, at roof level, there was a dormer window with a broken [pediment](/source/Pediment) and a pair of [urns](/source/Urn).[1] The other bays contained three-light windows on both floors.[1] Internally, the principal room was the council chamber on the first floor.[5]

The new public library was established in a wing on the northwest side of the town hall at the same time that the main building opened, and the [Penrith Museum](/source/Penrith_and_Eden_Museum), which had been founded in 1894, also moved into the town hall at that time.[6]

On 8 June 1920, the town hall was the venue for the coroner's inquiry into the death of the soldier, [Percy Toplis](/source/Percy_Toplis), who was alleged to have taken part in the [Étaples mutiny](/source/%C3%89taples_mutiny) and who later became known as *[the Monocled Mutineer](/source/The_Monocled_Mutineer)*; the verdict of the jury was that his death in a gunfight with police was [justifiable homicide](/source/Justifiable_homicide).[7] During the [Second World War](/source/World_War_II) staff in the town hall administered the accommodation arrangements for the many thousands of people evacuated from the south east to [Cumberland](/source/Cumberland) and [Westmorland](/source/Westmorland) and a civil defence reporting centre was also established in the basement.[8]

The town hall continued to serve as the headquarters of the urban district council for much of the 20th century and remained the local seat of government after the enlarged [Eden District Council](/source/Eden_District) which was formed in 1974.[9] The museum moved out of the town hall to the Robinson's School Building in Middlegate in July 1985[10] and the public library moved out of the town hall to facilities previously occupied by the [Queen Elizabeth Grammar School](/source/Queen_Elizabeth_Grammar_School%2C_Penrith) in St Andrew's Churchyard in 1992.[11] The registrar's office also moved out of the town hall to the library, which then became an approved venue for weddings and civil partnership ceremonies, in 2015.[12]

In January 2018, the council considered a plan to erect a modern extension on a car park at the rear of the site.[13] This was not implemented. Then, in March 2021, the council appointed consultants to develop an alternative proposal involving the redevelopment of the town hall as a creative asset.[14] However, in May 2021 the council also decided to grant the building [community asset](/source/Asset_of_community_value) status, so giving the community the right to acquire the building if it ever came to be offered for sale.[15]

The building ceased to be the local seat of government on 1 April 2023, when Eden District Council was abolished and its functions transferred to the new authority, [Westmorland and Furness Council](/source/Westmorland_and_Furness_Council).[16] The building continued to house some offices of the new council until June 2024, when the council moved its Penrith-based staff and services to Voreda House, a refurbished office building behind the town hall.[17]

## See also

- [Listed buildings in Penrith, Cumbria](/source/Listed_buildings_in_Penrith%2C_Cumbria)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-listed_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-listed_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-listed_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-listed_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-listed_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-listed_1-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-listed_1-6) [***h***](#cite_ref-listed_1-7) [***i***](#cite_ref-listed_1-8) [Historic England](/source/Historic_England). ["Penrith Town Hall (1420806)"](https://HistoricEngland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1420806?section=official-list-entry). *[National Heritage List for England](/source/National_Heritage_List_for_England)*. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Stables, Andrew Graham (2016). [*Secret Penrith*](https://books.google.com/books?id=lk4dDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT98). Amberley Publishing. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1445653815](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1445653815).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Penrith UD"](https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10137196). Vision of Britain. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Coronation Garden"](https://www.explorepenrith.org.uk/cg/panel15/). Explore Penrith. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Council Chamber, Town Hall, Penrith"](https://democracy.eden.gov.uk/mgLocationDetails.aspx?RID=1). Eden District Council. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["History of the Museum"](https://www.eden.gov.uk/leisure-culture-and-events/penrith-and-eden-museum/about-the-museum/history-of-the-museum/). Eden District Council. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Wynn, Stephen (2020). [*Etaples: Britain's Notorious Infantry Base Depot, 1914-1919*](https://books.google.com/books?id=sykNEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT80). Pen and Sword. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1473846036](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1473846036).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Wartime at Penrith Town Hall"](https://www.eden.gov.uk/leisure-culture-and-events/penrith-and-eden-museum/local-history/wartime-at-penrith-town-hall/). Eden District Council. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** *Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70*. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-10-547072-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-10-547072-4).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["350th anniversary of Robinson's School building, home to Penrith and Eden Museum"](http://www.visiteden.co.uk/news/350th-anniversary-of-robinson-s-school-building-home-to-penrith-and-eden-museum/). Visit Eden. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Dewe, Michael (2006). [*Planning Public Library Buildings: Concepts and Issues for the Librarian*](https://books.google.com/books?id=vCUHDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA149). Routledge. p. 149. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0754633884](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0754633884).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Bid to safeguard Penrith Town Hall as community asset to be debated"](https://www.cwherald.com/news/bid-to-safeguard-penrith-town-hall-as-community-asset-to-be-debated/). *Cumberland and Westmorland Herald*. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["Council to sign off Penrith Town Hall extension"](https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/council-to-sign-off-penrith-town-hall-extension/). *Place North West*. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Eden District Council appoints contractors to explore redevelopment of Penrith Town Hall"](https://cumbriacrack.com/2021/03/10/eden-district-council-appoints-contractors-to-explore-redevelopment-of-penrith-town-hall/). *Cumbria Crack*. 10 March 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["Penrith Town Hall granted community asset status"](https://www.cwherald.com/news/penrith-town-hall-granted-community-asset-status/). *Cumberland and Westmorland Herald*. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["Local Government Reorganisation. Delivering Two New Councils for Cumbria"](https://newcouncilsforcumbria.info/FutureforCumbriancouncils.asp). Retrieved 1 January 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Penrith's Voreda House set to open its doors for first time"](https://cumbriacrack.com/2024/06/13/penriths-voreda-house-set-to-open-its-doors-for-first-time/). *Cumbria Crack*. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Penrith Town Hall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penrith_Town_Hall) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penrith_Town_Hall?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.