Proposed Town Hall and Library, Church Street and York Street, Clitheroe

In 1899 Clitheroe Town Council commenced upon a scheme to replace Rickman’s Town Hall of 1820 with a new building and by August of that year plans had been prepared to the designs of Briggs and Wolstenholme.  Illustrated in the Building News of 25 August 1899, these called for the complete demolition of the old Town Hall and the enlargement of the site to the west. This scheme was not progressed, probably on the grounds of cost, and the involvement of Briggs and Wolstenholme appears to have ceased at this time.

NEW TOWS HALL AND FREE LIBRARY, CLITHEROE - The new building will be erected on the site of the present town hall and free library, together with extra land purchased for the purpose, and will consist of basement floor, containing weaving, plumbing, carpentry and joinery, cookery, agricultural, store-rooms, and latrines, etc. The ground floor comprises separate entrance and offices and grand staircase for the town-hall department, and separate entrance to the library, which will consist of large lending library and news and reading room, librarian's room, etc. The first floor will include a large council-chamber, mayor's parlour, and retiring-room, ante- and cloak-rooms for members, town clerk's office, and committee-rooms. The top floor is to be devoted to technical school purposes, until such time as the town requires the extra office accommodation. There will be a very' spacious staircase from the ground} floor to the second-floor level. The new building will be in dressed stonework throughout, and it is designed in the Renaissance style. The total cost is estimated at about £13,000. The architects are Messrs. Briggs and Wolstenholme, of Blackburn and Liverpool. The site of the new town-hall overlooks the castle keep, which is the only portion now remaining, and is supposed to have been built by Robert de-Laci, Lord of Blackbumshire, in the reign of Rufus, and is now vested in the trustees of the late Duke of Buccleuch. [Building News 25 August 1899 page 229]

See separate entry for Carnegie Free Public Library, Clitheroe (1904-1905)

Reference        Building News 25 August 1899 page 229 and illustration
Reference        Burnley Express 9 September 1899 page 4
Reference        Burnley Express 13 September 1899 page 3
Reference        1900, RA Exhibit No.1742: Town Hall Clitheroe