Wakefield Town Hall (1880)

Wakefield Corporation was created in 1848, and purchased part of the Wood Street site for a Town Hall as early as 1854. The Town Hall, between the Court House and the Mechanics Institution, was designed in the French Renaissance style by London architect T. W. Colcutt, the foundation of the building laid in 1877 by the then Mayor, W H Gill, a solicitor, and opened in October 1880, by the Mayor, W.H. Lee, a worsted spinner; the two men are recognized by the Town Hall’s adjoining streets, Gill Street and Lee Street. The Town Hall and clock tower cost £47,150.

After a major refurbishment in 2013, the Town Hall stands proudly in the Centre of Wakefield’s Civic Quarter. The beautiful Grade 1 listed building is home to Wakefield’s Registry Office and is a popular venue for weddings and events with eight magnificent rooms available for hire, and has featured in many films and TV programmes, such as ‘Emmerdale’.