Statement of Significance – Peterborough Guildhall

A grade II* stone building located within Peterborough City Centre Conservation Area. Situated in the middle of Cathedral Square, opposite the Norman Gate of Peterborough Cathedral, and to the east of St Johns Parish Church. It was a scheduled monument but was de-scheduled to allow the listing to take precedence.

A raised four sided building supported by ten columns with potentially Tuscan or Dutch influences. It is relatively small in size, and can be viewed in the round with a steep gable facing Cathedral Square. The interior is 9 by 12 metres. Made of limestone with a hipped slate roof. The cornice has coved eaves. Nationally important as it exists as a rare surviving example of this type of raised public building. Believed to have been built by John Lovin, who restored the Bishops Palace.

The ground floor is open with steps leading up to it, with rounded arches and shield shaped keystones, one dated 1671.

The interior was redecorated in 1979 and has little of the original historical fittings within it. It contains a kitchen from that period to the north side and allows light in through large windows on all elevations. A series of boards with the history of Peterborough on line the walls and it is used for storage of chairs.

Internally it has two storeys, the attic accessible only by retractable ladder and being used for servicing only. It has 7 gabled dormers with leaded lights.

Built or substantially re-built in 1671, with major refurbishment works undertaken in 1928 and again in 1965. From at least the early 18th century (as evidenced by a map of 1721) until 1964 the Guildhall had a building attached to its rear (west) elevation. The first floor is of reinforced concrete and dates from the restoration works of 1964. The first floor ceiling dates from the restoration work undertaken in 1928.

From the arcading it is apparent that the building was conceived to be seen ‘in the round’, although it would appear that the west elevation had lower architectural significance than the other elevations. No evidence remains as to how the upper floor was accessed before the building abutting it on the west side was constructed, but it may be that an external timber staircase provided access to the first floor doorway on the southwest corner. The moulded jamb blocks to lower part of this doorway appear older than the stonework around the upper part of the doorway and reflect the moulding to the stonework flanking the central window on the east elevation.

The Guildhall is a landmark in the city centre and closely accociated with the administrative and trading history through its use as a base for the Feoffee administration and later its position as Town Hall. The undercroft was rented out to Market stalls under the Feofee administration. Following completion of the new Town Hall on Bridge Street in 1933 the Guildhall ceased to have a regular use, but it remains a focal point at the heart of the city.

Bibliography:

Donoyou, R (2004) The Relocation of Peterborough TIC to the GuildhallPevsner, N (1968) The Buildings of England: Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and PeterboroughPeterborough City Council Minutes (1926)Listing DescriptionHER for Peterborough

Floorplan