Guildhall, Kingston upon Hull facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Guildhall, Kingston upon Hull |
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The Lowgate frontage
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| Location | Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Sir Edwin Cooper |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Designated | 12 November 1973 |
| Reference no. | 1279708 |
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The Guildhall is a very important building in Kingston upon Hull, England. It's on Alfred Gelder Street. Today, it's the main office for the Hull City Council, which is like the local government for the city. People also use it for big meetings, special parties, and fancy dinners. It's considered a special historic building, known as a Grade II* listed building.
Contents
History of the Guildhall
The first mention of a guildhall in Hull was in 1333. It was a place where the Mayor and important city leaders, called Aldermen, met for business. This first building was at the south end of Market Place.
Building a New Guildhall
A second guildhall, with two floors, was built in the 1630s. This one was later taken down in 1805 to make way for a new street. For a while, the mayor worked from a regular house.
Then, a third guildhall was built between 1862 and 1866. It was designed by Cuthbert Brodrick in a grand style called Renaissance architecture. This building was on Alfred Gelder Street.
The Current Guildhall
The Guildhall you see today was built between 1906 and 1914. It was designed by Sir Edwin Cooper. He planned it to hold the city offices and law courts. Part of this new building stands where the third guildhall used to be.
The main front of the building on Alfred Gelder Street has a central part. On each side, there are long rows of columns, called colonnades. At each end, there are special sections called pavilions.
Large statues by Albert Hodge were placed on these pavilions. One statue shows a female figure on a boat pulled by seahorses. The other shows a figure in a chariot pulled by lions.
A special clock, called a turret clock, was moved from the old guildhall to this new building. It was made in 1865.
The Time Ball
A time ball was put on top of the clock tower when it was built. A time ball is a mechanism that helps sailors on ships check their clocks, called marine chronometers. This was important for navigation.
The Guildhall's time ball is thought to be the last one ever put up in the UK. It's also the highest one in the country.
Wartime Damage and Restoration
During the Second World War, the building was damaged by bombs in May 1941. This happened during the Hull Blitz, which was a series of heavy bombings on Hull.
The western part of the building was used as law courts until 1991. Then, the courts moved to a new building.
In 2004, a set of 23 bells, called a carillon, was added to the bell tower. The tower is 41 metres (about 135 feet) high. In 2013, new equipment was installed to wind the clock automatically.
In 2016, the city council started asking for money to fix the time ball. They got help from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. In October 2018, the Heritage Lottery Fund gave £281,100.
The restored time ball was put back on the clock tower in September 2021. It was covered in 23.5 carat gold and weighed 50 kg (about 110 pounds). After more work on the clock tower and adding a ship-shaped weather vane, the time ball dropped again on 29 June 2023. This was the first time it had dropped since 1922!
Inside the Guildhall
The main way to enter The Guildhall is from Lowgate. When you go inside, you'll see the Grand Staircase. This staircase leads up to important rooms like the Civic Suite, Reception Room, and Banqueting Hall.
At the bottom of the staircase, there's a statue of King Edward I. He was the king who gave Hull its first special city rules, called a charter, in 1299.
Inside, you can also see beautiful art. There's a tapestry that shows 700 years of the city's history. There's also a painting by Terence Cuneo. It shows Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh leaving Hull for a visit to Denmark.
See also
In Spanish: Guildhall (Kingston upon Hull) para niños
