The grade II listed Morpeth Town Hall is an imposing civic building fronting the Market Square. It was originally built in 1714 by Sir John Vanbrugh for the Earl of Carlisle. Following a fire in 1869 the building was rebuilt to designs by R.J. Johnson with the facade being an exact reproduction of the original. The building provides accommodation for the town council and registrars service as well as hosting community and civic events, ceremonies, and weddings.
The project focused on the Butter Market and the Grand Staircase in the northern part of the building to provide an enhanced entrance and reception area and improved public and staff facilities, circulation, and accessibility. The Butter Market had originally been open to the Market Square and accessible through the triple arcaded entrance; subsequent infill was intrusive and compromised the integrity of the historic asset.
The proposals removed the inappropriate additions, reinstated the open relationship to the Square, and restored the internal fabric to its original condition. New internal additions were incorporated in a sensitive manner distinct from the historic fabric and with ‘reversibility’ in mind. The proposals were made in line with a conservation management plan and based on an assessment of significance undertaken to establish the conservation requirements.
