Downham Market..Town Hall
Town Hall, 6 Market Place, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 9DE
Nestled in the centre of Downham Market, the Town Hall is one of the town's most treasured historic buildings. With its distinctive carstone architecture it has stood for well over a century as a symbol of community life and celebration.
The Town Hall was erected in 1887, on the site of the old Corn Exchange and was funded by public subscription to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. It officially opened in April 1888 and in 1897 a Balcony was added to one end of the Main Hall. It was designed in the Free Renaissance style by architect John Johnson of London and built by the Bennett Brothers, interestingly, many of the purely decorative features were paid for by prominent residents of the town...a real example of community spirit.
Constructed using white brick and local carstone (a ginger-toned sandstone) it helped earn the town its charming nickname. 'The Gingerbread Town".
In 1936 the building was acquired by the Urban District Council but reverted back to Downham Market Town Council in 2008. It was granted Grade II status in 1972.
Timings & Tours
- Sunday 21 September:
- 10.00 - 4pm
Location & directions
Town Hall, 6 Market Place, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 9DE
- Directions:
- The Town Hall is in between the market places and next to the Town Clock.
- Contact on day:
- Tina Griffin
- Telephone number:
- +441366387770
Booking information
- Pre-booking requirement:
- Pre-booking not required
Accessibility details
On Heritage Open Day the Town Hall will host both Photographic & Art exhibitions..the subject matter being 'local architecture'. In the main hall will be a variety of traditional crafts, such as Willow Weaving, Mosaics, Spinning, Ceramics, Screen Printing and many more. The stall holders can be seen working on their creations....with tempting items to buy.
