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Record Details

NHER Number:26201
Type of record:Building
Name:City Hall, St Peter's Street, Norwich

Summary

City Hall was built in 1932-38 by C. H.James and S. R. Pierce. It should go down in history as the foremost English public building between the wars. This grand structure occupies an enviable position overlooking the market place and is made from brick with stone dressings, although the lower two storeys are entirely made from stone. The building has five storeys with a tower to right-hand side. The central entry has six polygonal columns above rising from the first floor balcony and supporting entabulature. The triple doors and steps up are flanked by lions, although these were purchased and not part of the original design. The square clock tower is topped with a square cupola and finial.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:TG 22843 08511
Map Sheet:TG20NW
Parish:NORWICH, NORWICH, NORFOLK

Full description

January 1971. Listed, Grade II.
Original Listing Description:
City Hall. 1932-38 by C. H. James and S. R. Pierce. Brick with stone dressings, lower two storeys of stone. Flat roof. Five storeys with tower to rigth hand side. Twenty-five fourth floor windows. Central entry with six polygonal columns above rising from the first floor balcony and supporting entabulature. Triple doors and steps up flanked by lions. Metal casement windows with glazing bars throughout. Small semi-circular balconies in penultimate end bays with small fanlights above doors. The three end bays project. Parapet. Square clock tower topped with square cupola and finial.
This description is as it appeared in 2001. It has since been amended. See entry for May 2007 below.
Updated H. Hamilton (HES), 23 January 2018.

The Lions - one was purchased at the British Empire Exhibition 1936; made by Alfred Hardiman. The other was copied from it. They were not part of the original design.

See file for photograph of Georgian house demolished to build the City Hall and other press cuttings (S1), (S2), (S3), (S4), (S5), (S6), (S7) and (S8).
T. Sunley (NLA) 25 October 2007.

May 2007. List Entry amended from Grade II to Grade II*.
Listing Description Excerpt:
"City Hall with attached police station. 1932-38 by C. H. James and S. R. Pierce. Brick with stone dressings, lower 2 storeys of stone. Flat roof. 5 storeys, with tower to right-hand side. Twenty-five 4th floor windows. Central entry with 6 polygonal columns above rising from the first-floor balcony and supporting entablature. Triple doors and steps up flanked by lions."
Information from (S9), which contains further details of the history and importance of the building.
Please consult the National Heritage List for England (S9) for the current listing details.
A. Cattermole (NLA), 20 August 2010. Updated H. Hamilton (HES), 23 January 2018. Amended by P. Beers (HES), 16 March 2020.

2008. Norwich HEART.
One of the finest municipal buildings of the inter-war period in England. Under guidance from Robert Atkinson and RIBA (the Royal Institute of British Architects), an architectural competition for the building was held. The winning design was by C. H. James and S. Rowland Pierce. City Hall holds the largest clock bell in the United Kingdom, with the deepest tone in East Anglia. Much of the interior is art deco in style. King George VI opened City Hall in 1938 to the largest gathering of crowds Norwich had ever seen.
See (S10) and (S11) for information.
D. Gurney (NLA), 27 January 2009.

Monument Types

  • TOWN HALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

  • Listed Building

Sources and further reading

---Aerial Photograph: TG2208 AJ.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TG2208/ACJ - ACU.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TG 2308BFL - BFP, BFR.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1999. TG 2208ADF - AEE; TG 2308BFU - BFV.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TG 2308BDY - BEA.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B. 1997. Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 262-264; Pl 111.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2008. A big celebration for historic city landmark. 9 October.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2008. Saluting City's Hall of fame. 25 October.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. The Norwich 12. 2 February.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2010. Wander your way through 1,000 years of city history. 24 June.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2011. Norwich: A city of Heritage. 1 September.
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1935. Low's House St. Giles, Norwich. 13 March.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1998. [Article on the history of Municipal Building for the City Hall]. 28 October.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2012. Heritage groups in warning on City Hall refurbishment. 17 May.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2016. Clock tower needs £200,000 of repairs. 6 October.
---Designation: English Heritage. 1990-2013. English Heritage Listing Notification. Notification. DNF7875.
---Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1956. Norwich work on ancient buildings. 28 December.
<S1>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2005. A new role for City Hall?. 12 October.
<S2>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2002. Options over the future of City Hall. 15 April.
<S3>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1998. Eastern Daily Press. 28 October.
<S4>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1997. Back in time when City Hall clock tower shape. 30 April.
<S5>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1998. Singing the praises of a bell with great appeal. 2 January.
<S6>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 2000. City Hall lions. 15 March.
<S7>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1999. New City Hall taking shape. 19 November.
<S8>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1998. City's monument to grand vision. 27 October.
<S9>Designation: Historic England. National Heritage List for England. List Entry 1210484.
<S10>Publication: Sheehan, B.. 2008. Norwich 12: A journey through the English city..
<S11>Moving Image: Norwich Heritage Economic and Regeneration Trust (HEART). 2008. Norwich 12. A journey through the English city.. DVD.

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