L2022_7327 - Birkenhead Town Hall and War Memorial (in Explore)

Birkenhead Town Hall and War Memorial are located in Hamilton Square the largest group of Georgian Buildings outside of London.

For more photographs of Birkenhead please click here: www.jhluxton.com/England/Merseyside/Wirral/Birkenhead/

The Grade II Listed Birkenhead Town Hall was the former administrative headquarters of the County Borough of Birkenhead, and more recently, council offices for the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Birkenhead Town Hall remains the location of the town's register office. However, since the closure of the Wirral Museum in 2010, there is uncertainty over the future purpose of the Grade II* listed building.

When Hamilton Square was designed in the early 19th century, a plot of land was made available for the siting of a town hall between Hamilton Street and Chester Street. Designed by local architect Christopher Ellison, the building was constructed using Scottish granite and sandstone from the now filled-in local Storeton Quarry. It was officially opened in 1887.

The building consisted of a council chamber, offices, with a concert hall and function rooms known as the Assembly Rooms. Birkenhead's magistrates' court chambers are located in a separate building of the same design to the rear. The clock tower is 200 feet in height and consists of four faces. After a fire in 1901, the upper part of the clock tower was rebuilt to a design by Henry Hartley. The rebuilding included a stained glass window by Gilbert P. Gamon representing Edward I's visit to Birkenhead Priory in 1277.

Despite the abolition of the County Borough of Birkenhead on 1 April 1974, the building continued to be used as council offices until the early 1990s, when work was undertaken to restore the external stonework and many interior decorations and features, including the former council chamber.

The Wirral Archives Service was based in the building until 2008, when it transferred to the council's Cheshire Lines Building nearby.

Between 2001 and 2010, the Wirral Museum occupied a significant portion of the building. It featured both themed and permanent exhibits such as the history and development of Wirral, the Cammell Laird collection, the Wirral Silver and Mayoral collections, Della Robbia Pottery and a detailed scale model of the historic Woodside area in 1934.

Birkenhead Town Hall still retains some civic service, such as the municipal registration centre for births, marriages and deaths and as a venue for local and national elections. It is also utilised for the celebration of notable occasions and as the town's focal point for annual Remembrance Sunday ceremonies. Some of the grand civic rooms are also used for social events including weddings.

Taken in: UK / England / Birkenhead (show map)

Taken on: October 16, 2022

Tags:

2022

Architecture

Birkenhead Hamilton Square

Birkenhead Town Hall

Birkenhead War Memorial

England

Grade II* Listed

Hamilton Square

Hamilton Square Gardens

John H. Luxton Photography

Leica

Leica VLux 5

Merseyside

War Memorial

Wirral

building

park

www.jhluxton.com

United Kingdom « less

Sets appears in: • Wirral • In Explore more » • Merseyside « less

Groups appears in: • Leica • England more » • BLACK AND WHITE PHOTO HEAVEN! • B&W • Monochromatic world • Wirral • Memorials • White and Black Photography • Leica Digital • Birkenhead • Buildings • War Memorials • Monochrome Britain (no colour splashes) • Aspects of Britain • Leica Black and White • B+W • It's Grim Up North • Victorian Architecture • A Picture of Britain • Leica digicams • I Love Black and White! • Merseyside Past and Present • World of B&W + Sepia & other monochrome • Britain In Black And White • Military Memorials • Buildings, Beautiful in Black and White • Toward the sky... 1 Post / 3 Awards • : War Memorials : • Wirral Photographers • liverpoolecho • Buildings/Edificios/Bâtiments • The Wirral • From Wirral • British War Memorials • Photos of Wirral - the Flickr group of the Wirral News • Liverpool and Wirral Flickr Group • Black and White Liverpool • LEICA PICS • I know where you are • United Kingdom War Memorials • British War Memorials - WWI and WWII • in explore • Beautiful Buildings old and new • Monochrome Photos Look Best • Historic Architecture • Merseyside • Black&white123 • Nice Places to Visit - No 30/60 Limit - Photos & Videos Welcome. • (A) LISTED BUILDING.AND PLACE • A Pleasant Shade of Grey • Europe - History & Beauty • Clocks & Clocktowers • Town Halls, City Halls, Guildhalls etc « less

Camera: LEICA CAMERA AG V-Lux 5, f/3.2, 1/1600 sec, 9.1mm, ISO 125 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	LEICA CAMERA AG V-Lux 5
Aperture:	f/3.2
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1600)
Focal Length:	9.1mm
ISO:	125
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Landscape
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Gain Control:	Low gain up
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop 23.5 (Windows)
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