Stoke Town Hall Given Grade II* Listed Status
Stoke Town Hall, which hosted the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, is upgraded to Grade II* listed status.
Stoke-on-Trent Town Hall, including the Kings Hall and the Jubilee Hall, has been upgraded to Grade II* listed status by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on the advice of Historic England.
The rare Grade II* listed status puts the town hall in the same category as some of England’s most significant historic buildings, including Battersea Power Station, and Stoke’s Bethesda Methodist Chapel and the Burslem Old Town Hall.
The announcement comes as Stoke-on-Trent celebrates its 100th anniversary of attaining city status.
History
The town of Stoke-upon-Trent along with Burslem, Fenton, Hanley, Longton and Tunstall make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. These 6 towns were prominent in the North Staffordshire Potteries from the 1700s, when the making of earthenware pottery in the area grew from a small, local industry to a globally significant export trade.
By the mid-19th century, Stoke-upon-Trent had outgrown its first town hall, built in 1794 and funded by subscription, and a new building was required as municipal offices and the seat of local government.
In 1925, Stoke was granted city status, and the Town Hall was visited by King George V and Queen Mary to make the official announcement. When the King celebrated his silver jubilee in 1935, the first-floor assembly room was refurbished in an Art Deco style and renamed the Jubilee Room.
The King’s Hall became, and remains, a popular venue for music, and has hosted concerts including acts such as: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones who both played the hall in 1963, as well as The Cure, U2, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, The Who and ACDC.
It was in January 1963, in the dressing-rooms at the King's Hall, which are still there, that John Lennon and Paul McCartney first started to compose the song "Misery" which went on to feature on their album ‘Please Please Me’.
Architecture
With an exterior built using sandstone, Stoke Town Hall’s design emulates the temples of ancient Greece and Rome.
Internally, the quality of materials and elegance of design contribute to the ‘more than special interest’ required for Grade II* listing. The extensive use of local ceramic tile work across the building highlights the source of Stoke-on-Trent’s prosperity and civic pride, embedding it into the centre of local government.
The buildings of the civic centre added to the town hall in 1992 are not included in the listing.
What a great way to celebrate 100 years of Stoke-on-Trent’s city status. The town hall is gorgeous inside and out, and is really rooted in that local industrial history of Wedgwood, Portmeirion, Spode, and Bridgewater that Stokies are rightly so proud of. The decision to upgrade it to Grade II* status on our advice speaks to the importance of this building in England’s national story.
Stoke Town Hall is a central part of the story of our city. Built as a statement of confidence in Stoke’s industrial growth, rooted in the pottery industry, it became the place where city status was formally announced in 1925. It’s remained at the centre of public life ever since and has hosted historic civic occasions as well as welcoming world-famous musicians in the King’s Hall. In our Centenary year, the building has continued to host events and performances marking 100 years of city status.
This upgrade to Grade II* status is a major recognition of its importance. Only a small proportion of listed buildings receive this level of protection and it confirms the Town Hall’s national significance. Grade II* listing will secure the future of one of Stoke-on-Trent’s most important civic buildings for generations to come.
Gallery
Please click on the gallery images to enlarge.
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