Mallow Town Hall Theatre Mallow, County Cork - Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment - Phase 2 - Dr Elena Turk
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Architectural Heritage Impact May 2021
Assessment - Phase 2
Mallow Town Hall
Theatre PROJECT:
Mallow Town Hall
Theatre
Mallow, County RMP/RPS
RPS 27
Cork
RMP CO033- 093--
Historic Town
CLIENT
Cork County Council
Dr Elena Turk
Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment - Phase 2
Mallow Town Hall
Dr Elena Turk
Blue Brick Heritage
5 Annmount, Friars Walk, Cork
web: www.bluebrickheritage.com | email: info@bluebrickheritage.com
© Blue Brick Heritage 2021
Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Site location 1
Legal Status 1
Archaeological and historical background 2
Extant Structure record 8
External description 8
Internal description 14
Basement 14
Ground floor 17
First floor 23
Second floor 28
Assessment 36
Date 36
Significance 36
Proposed development 39
Impacts and recommendations. 39
General Approach to Works 42
Conclusion/Summary 43
Bibliography 44
Books, reports and thesis. 44
Archives 44
i
ii
Figure 33: Room GF4 north wall.���������������������������������������� 18
List of Figures
Figure 34: View to room GF4 from south.������������������������� 18
Figure 1: Site location within Mallow Town,
North Cork.������������������������������������������������������������1 Figure 35: View to room GF5 from north.�������������������������19
Figure 2: HIstoric Environment Mapping, Town Figure 36: Fireplace room GF5���������������������������������������������19
Hall outlined.���������������������������������������������������������2
Figure 37: Room GF6.������������������������������������������������������������19
Figure 3: Speed's Map of Cork 1610 after Cork
Figure 38: Room GF7.������������������������������������������������������������19
City Library digital archives.�������������������������������3
Figure 39: View to room GF8.����������������������������������������������20
Figure 4: Taylor and Skinners Road Map, 1777.����������������4
Figure 40: Room GF9.������������������������������������������������������������20
Figure 5: Ordnance Survey Map of the Manor of
Mallow, 1831.����������������������������������������������������������5 Figure 41: Fireplace room GF9��������������������������������������������20
Figure 6: First Edition OS map, Mallow c.1840.���������������7 Figure 42: Room GF10.����������������������������������������������������������21
Figure 8: Eason Collection image c.1900 NLI Figure 43: Room GF11�����������������������������������������������������������21
EAS_0900 .�������������������������������������������������������������7
Figure 44: Room GF11 hall.��������������������������������������������������21
Figure 7: 25 inch OS map, c.1900.���������������������������������������7
Figure 45: Room FF1, doors to hall from stairs.���������������23
Figure 9: Detail from 'Town Hall ruins, Mallow'
c.1920 (www.rareirishstuff.com).������������������������7 Figure 46: FF1 doors at first floor landing.�������������������������23
Figure 10: View to roof at west gable 'House'.����������������������8 Figure 47: Room FF2.������������������������������������������������������������23
Figure 11: View to roof, hall at rear, from west.������������������8 Figure 48: Room FF2, south wall and southeast corner.�24
Figure 12: Front.�����������������������������������������������������������������������9 Figure 49: Room FF3.������������������������������������������������������������24
Figure 13: East.�������������������������������������������������������������������������9 Figure 50: Room FF3.������������������������������������������������������������24
Figure 14: East.�����������������������������������������������������������������������10 Figure 51: Room FF4 from south.���������������������������������������25
Figure 15: South.�������������������������������������������������������������������� 11 Figure 52: Fireplace room FF4.��������������������������������������������25
Figure 16: West.���������������������������������������������������������������������� 11 Figure 53: Room FF4, door.��������������������������������������������������25
Figure 17: Fire stair detail.���������������������������������������������������� 11 Figure 54: Room FF5.������������������������������������������������������������25
Figure 18: Door to basement from ground floor level..��� 14 Figure 55: Fireplace FF5.�������������������������������������������������������25
Figure 19: Basement stairs.��������������������������������������������������� 14 Figure 56: Room FF6 from south.���������������������������������������25
Figure 20: Room B1.��������������������������������������������������������������� 14 Figure 57: Room FF7.�������������������������������������������������������������26
Figure 21: Room B2.��������������������������������������������������������������15 Figure 58: Room FF8 looking North�����������������������������������26
Figure 22: Door to Room B3.������������������������������������������������15 Figure 59: West wall FF8.������������������������������������������������������27
Figure 23: Room B3 from north end.����������������������������������15 Figure 60: Room FF8 from north.���������������������������������������27
Figure 24: Detail of arches.���������������������������������������������������15 Figure 61: View to room FF9 (understage).�����������������������27
Figure 25: Entrance door (Room GF1).������������������������������ 16 Figure 62: Detail to studwork.���������������������������������������������27
Figure 26: Room GF1 looking north.���������������������������������� 16 Figure 63: Steps FF9 stairs.���������������������������������������������������28
Figure 27: Cieling room GF1.����������������������������������������������� 16 Figure 64: View to landing SF1 (looking south).��������������28
Figure 28: GF1 looking south with stairs.�������������������������� 16 Figure 65: Access to rear from stairwell.����������������������������28
Figure 29: Stairwell from ground floor room GF1.����������� 16 Figure 66: Detail to stairs.�����������������������������������������������������29
Figure 30: Room GF2������������������������������������������������������������� 17 Figure 67: Room SF2.�������������������������������������������������������������29
Figure 31: View to Room GF3 from north in GF2.���������� 18 Figure 68: Room SF2 at east.������������������������������������������������29
Figure 32: Room GF3 at south of partition.����������������������� 18 Figure 69: Room SF3.�������������������������������������������������������������29
Figure 70: Room SF4 range.��������������������������������������������������29
iii
Blue Brick Heritage Figure 71: Room SF5.�������������������������������������������������������������29 Figure 72: Fireplace SF5..������������������������������������������������������30 Figure 73: Room SF6.�������������������������������������������������������������30 Figure 74: Room SF7.�������������������������������������������������������������30 Figure 75: Detail to cistern SF7.������������������������������������������� 31 Figure 76: Detail to seat, SF7������������������������������������������������ 31 Figure 77: Detail to window SF7.����������������������������������������� 31 Figure 78: Room SF8.�������������������������������������������������������������32 Figure 79: Detail of floor SF8.����������������������������������������������32 Figure 80: Fireplace SF8.�������������������������������������������������������32 Figure 81: Room SF9.�������������������������������������������������������������32 Figure 82: Room SF10.�����������������������������������������������������������32 Figure 83: Floor SF10.������������������������������������������������������������33 Figure 84: View to SF11.��������������������������������������������������������33 Figure 85: Room SF12.�����������������������������������������������������������33 Figure 86: Detail of Door SF12.�������������������������������������������33 Figure 87: Occulus window SF12.���������������������������������������34 Figure 88: View down east stair SF13.��������������������������������34 Figure 89: View of east stair, FF9/SF13.������������������������������34 Figure 90: Base of west stair, FF9/SF13.������������������������������34 Figure 91: Timber batten boxing in, east stair.�����������������35 Figure 92: View to east stair from stage.����������������������������35 Figure 93: West stair from stage.�����������������������������������������35 iv
Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
routes connecting Cork and Limerick, and be-
Introduction tween Dungarvan and Killarney. Its strategic loca-
The following report comprises phase 2 of tion contributed significantly to the development
an Architectural Heritage Impact Assessment of of the town.
the proposed development and conversion of the The town hall building is located at the junc-
former Mallow Town Hall, Main Street, Mallow, tion of William O’Brien Street and Main Street, in
Cork. It was undertaken by Dr Elena Turk MA of a highly visible location at the centre of the urban
Bluebrick Heritage for Cork County Council Ar- area.
chitects’ Department. An initial assessment (phase Figure Site location
1) was carried out in February 2021, during a pub-
lic health mandated lockdown in response to the
identification and spread of COVID-19. The pre-
Legal Status
sent second phase report includes a more complete The town hall is a protected structure (RPS
survey of the building, and finalises assessments 27). It is, therefore, subject to statutory protection
and recommendations for the project. under the Planning and Development Acts 2000-
2010. The location within an Architectural Con-
The property is roughly divided into two areas, servation Area ACA- 1 gives it further protected
a section at north running parallel to the street, under the acts.
and a section at south set perpendicular. For ease
of cross referencing between different specialists The building is recorded on the national in-
reports on this development these will be referred ventory of architectural heritage (NIAH) as entry
to as the ‘house’ and the ‘hall’ respectively. The number 20815027. It is rated as regionally impor-
proposed development includes several interven- tant for architectural, artistic, and social reasons
tions facilitated and accessed by a newly created and dated to c. 1930. The NIAH notes that;
‘Traboule’ which is to pass through the extant en-
trance and hall of the structure and on to a rear
courtyard. Interventions include;
• A 200-seat theatre / auditorium to be inserted
in the existing hall to the rear.
• A ground floor studio space for rehearsals,
community gatherings and devising work.
• Box-office, administrative and staff offices.
• Backstage and technical facilities.
• Additional public spaces including a gallery,
tourist information office, a cafe bar / func-
tion room, and offices for the Local Enter-
prise Office on the top floor.
The drawings included below were prepared by
Cork County Council Architects Department and
annotated for the present report.
Site location
Mallow town is 35km from Cork City, and for
many years was considered the administrative hub
of the North Cork region. It is locally known as the Figure 1: Site location within Mallow Town, North Cork.
‘Crossroads of Munster’ due to the convergence
of several important routes through it including
1
Blue Brick Heritage
‘The tall form of this building marks it out on
the streetscape. It occupies a prominent site closing The Town Hall is proximity to RMP Co033-
the vista from William O’Brien Street and having 006-, a church and graveyard located c.70m
the J.J. Fitzgerald monument sited in front. Its red southeast. The town itself is classified as an ar-
brick and limestone façade offers variety of tex- chaeological monument (Mallow RMP CO033-
ture and materials to the street. The regular and 093-- Historic Town), and the Town Hall building
symmetrical form is articulated by the quoins and is within the zone of potential established around
platbands and enhanced by the retention of mar- this site. It is, thus, protected under the National
gin sash windows to all openings. The well-carved Monuments (1930-2004) acts. As part of a heritage
door and window surrounds to the centre bay offer site the area is protected under the National Herit-
a focal point to the façade and add artistic interest age Plan (2002) and is protected under the policy of
to the façade. The Celtic interlace motif to the door the Cork County Development Plan Objective HE
surround is a typically Gaelic Revival feature and 3-1 ‘Protection of Archaeological sites’.
mirrors similar detailing to the O’Brien monu-
ment.’ (www.buildingsofireland.ie).
The NIAH was established on a statutory ba-
Archaeological and historical
sis under the Architectural Heritage (National background
Inventory) and Historic Monuments (Miscellane-
ous Provisions) Act 1999. Its purpose is to identify,
record, and evaluate the post-1700 architectural Mallow Town
heritage of Ireland, as an aid in the protection and
The placename ‘Mallow’ is derived from the
conservation of the built heritage. Buildings listed
Irish Magh nAla (the plain of the rock). The earli-
in the NIAH are given special consideration in the
est settlement in the area probably centred around
Cork County Development Plan.
an important fording point over the River Black-
water, believed to be the ford known as Ath na
Ceall (Bolster, 1971, 11). The town proper owes
its continued development to a constant military
presence in the area, beginning in the early period
of the Norman invasion and continuing into the
nineteenth century. The protection and security
this presence offered encouraged the formation of
a large settlement.
King John is believed to have built a castle at
Mallow in 1175, with Mallow Manor being estab-
lished within 20 years of this by the Flemings fam-
ily (it was soon transferred to the Roches by mar-
riage). Ownership of the manor passed to Desmond
Fitzgerald in 1282 (Zajac, 1995, 71). The town was
considered important by the Fitzgerald’s for two
reasons- it formed one in a chain of castles and for-
tifications in a line between Cork harbour and the
Fitzgerald stronghold in Limerick. It also created a
fortified border between Norman occupied lands
and those still held by the native Irish population
Figure 2: HIstoric Environment Mapping, Town Hall (Crowley, 1997, 106). A licence was granted to the
outlined. Fitzgerald’s in 1287 to collect tax for seven years to
2Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
pay for improvements to fortifications to Mallow Munster (Power 2007, 23). Early plantation devel-
and Tralee (ibid). Although this was in the form opment in Munster is marked by the creation of
of a murage grant, the funds were probably spent eight boroughs, three on sites associated with the
on fortification of the castles in Mallow (there is iron industry in the Blackwater Valley (Tallow, Lis-
no trace of a town wall). By 1298 an inquisition’s more, and Mallow). (Figure 3).
findings were recording approximately 60 Anglo- The early stages of the plantation failed, due
Norman families resident in the Ville of Mallow to the uprising of 1598, but towns like Mallow still
(Zajac, 1997, 72, Crowley, 1995, 107, Bolster, 1971). benefited from the influx of new settlers to the
St Anne’s Church, located to the south-east of the countryside. By the 1580s Mallow castle had been
Main Street, is believed to be medieval in date and in the ownership of Sir Thomas Norreys, who re-
would have served this community, which at the built the site as a fortified house (Mallow Castle).
time was comprised of houses clustered along the In 1612-3 Mallow was granted a town charter by
main street with Mallow Castle at the east and the James I, this gave the town all the rights of a bor-
church to the south. The western terminus of the ough with the power to return representatives to
town was soon to be defined by a second smaller government. The town continued to grow into the
castle, called ‘Short Castle’ or ‘Castlegarr’ and seventeenth century, and by 1622 had 80 English
would have been located towards the middle of houses on the main street (and up to 607 houses
the current town of Mallow, near the Short Castle in total in the town and hinterlands) (Crowley,
Street junction. 1997 and Grove-White 1916, 68). By 1641 there
were 200 houses along the Main Street of Mal-
The plantation period saw exponential growth low, 30 if which were well built of stone with slate
in the urban core of the town. Munster became the roofs (Power et al 1994, Bolster, 1971, Zajac, et al
first site of mass plantation in 1586 and by 1598 an 1995, Crowley, 1997). The town was attacked and
estimated 4,000 settlers from Britain were living in burnt in 1642 during the Gaelic-Catholic rebellion.
Figure 3: Speed's Map of Cork 1610 after Cork City Library digital archives.
3Blue Brick Heritage
Mallow was again attacked in 1645, by the Earl of The town continued to improve and grow into
Castlehaven, at which time it was nearly reduced to the nineteenth century. A grant from the board of
ruins. The area’s continuing strategic significance first fruits in 1818 provided for the replacement of
helped it to recover and a grand jury presentment the medieval Saint Anne’s Church with St James’s
to improve the fortifications of the town was made Church (designed by the Pain Brothers) - com-
in 1660, when a threat from French forces was felt plete by 1824. St James’s avenue was opened lead-
by settlers (Crowley, 1997, 110). In 1689 McDonagh ing from Davis Street to the church. By 1831 when
forces planned an attack on the town to regain lost the Ordnance Survey team visited the town it had
lands, however they were routed by Danish forces places of worship for numerous denominations
under the command of S’Gravenmore and up to and many schools. More importantly, the efforts
500 Irish men are reputed to have been killed in of the Jephson family, the landlords of the Mallow
the meadow to the south of the town (Lewis, 1837). Castle demesne, encouraged the economic and po-
litical survival of the town with the construction
By 1700 no less than 27 per cent of the popula- of the market square in 1823 and the Spa House
tion was of Scottish or English origin or descent in 1828.
compared with a mere two percent in 1600 (Cullen
1981, 15). Mallow spa was discovered in the 1720s The field books describe the town as ‘tolerably
and it led to the development of the town as small handsome and contain[ing] some very good build-
Georgian watering hole. By a census of 1775 there ings’ (Crowley, 1997, 109). Hamilton, around the
were 400 houses north of the river along the main same date (1832, 381), described the town as ‘an
and side streets (Bolster, 1971, 22). The late 18th agreeable post town and watering-place…a bor-
century road maps created by Taylor and Skinner ough town returning a member of parliament…
show the town development around an important [with]a church, a Roman Catholic Chapel, a public
east-west/north-south crossroads. reading room and library, meeting houses, market
house, cavalry barracks and a handsome bridge
over the Blackwater’. While Hansbrow, in 1835
(322) noted that the town had several fair days and
market days and had a population of 5,229.
By 1837 Lewis paints an attractive picture of
Mallow as a thriving, wealthy and somewhat up-
market town;
‘…greatly enlarged and much improved; sev-
eral spacious houses have been built, a new street
has been opened to the north of the main street,
and the latter has been lengthened by the addition
of several respectable private houses at its western
extremity. Most of the houses in this street have a
projecting square window on the first floor, which
has a singular but not unpleasing effect; the prin-
cipal footpaths are flagged, though the streets are
not paved; and the inhabitants are amply supplied
with excellent water. The total number of houses,
including the suburb of Ballydaheen, was, in 1831,
996, of which number 426 are slated and the re-
mainder thatched; they are generally well built,
and the town has, on the whole, a handsome and
Figure 4: Taylor and Skinners Road Map, 1777. cheerful appearance… The season usually com-
mences in May, and terminates in the beginning of
4Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
October, during which period there is a consider- on one meal or half a meal of bad potatoes a day’
able influx of company…. The inhabitants carry on (Bolster, 1971, 72). However, by the 1850s the popu-
an extensive and lucrative trade with the opulent lation had begun to recover and the Griffith Valua-
and populous districts in the neighbourhood… tion records numerous thriving trades based along
There are in the town and its immediate vicinity the principal streets. By the 1871 census there were
three soap and candle manufactories, three tan- 804 houses in the town and some of its prosper-
yards, three flour-mills… the extensive brewery ity began to return with improvements in farming
and malting establishment… two lime and salt and agricultural trade. By 1916, when Grove-White
works, and a small manufactory of blankets and surveyed the town, the Town Hall had been built
flannel... Branches of the Provincial and Agricul- and the main streets were lit by gas light (Grove-
tural Banks have been recently established in the White, 1916, 71). The later business directories of
town. The projected railway from Dublin to Va- the 1920s and 1930s give a much wider range of
lencia will, if carried into effect, pass close to the business for the area including arms and ammuni-
town… (Lewis, 1837, 338). tion dealers, bakers, smiths, boot and shoemakers,
warehouses, builders, cattle dealers, china, glass
Mallow workhouse was built in 1842 and by and earthenware dealers, milliners, grocers, hair-
1848 the town was connected to the Great South- dressers, hosieries, ironmongers, lodging houses, a
ern and Western Railway network (Crowley, 1997, music teacher, a painters, a pawnbrokers, a plumb-
108). While the town was prosperous with numer- er, a stationer, refreshment rooms, tobacconists,
ous great houses in the vicinity, the famine did undertakers and numerous vintners (Guy, 1921,
have a significant impact (population decreased by 375-378).
33% in the parish at this time according to Crowley
(1997, 109)). At the peak of the famine one visi-
tor to mallow records ‘Nearly one half of the en-
The Town Hall
tire population are in actual want of food, living
The first edition OS mapping shows that the
plot layout and building footprint c.1840 was re-
markably like the present layout. The laneway to
the east of the property is shown as a full func-
tional open lane rather than the covered entrance
and passage it is today. William O’Brien Street is
named New Street, while Davis Street is named
Main Street. The open courtyard area towards the
centre of the site is shown as infilled with buildings.
The second edition/25inch mapping is more
detailed, but again shows that by the turn of the
1900s the site had most of its modern character-
istics with buildings roughly following the same
footprint. The two distinct parts of the property as
experienced today are indicated (house at the front
and hall to the rear) and a small inset building is in
roughly the location of the present open courtyard
area, although on a slightly different footprint.
For many years, the site functioned as a com-
Figure 5: Ordnance Survey Map of the Manor of Mal- mercial property, it was run as the Queen’s Arms
low, 1831. Hotel by Mr Ned Riordan for a time in the 1800s,
5Blue Brick Heritage
but by 1891 was in the ownership of James Rafferty. generously proportioned rooms falling quietly into
Recorded as a draper on Main Street Mallow in the disrepair. (Mallow Town Hall Theatre, Cork Coun-
street directories from this time, by 1907 Rafferty’s ty Council).
was also a boot and shoe warehouse (Guy 1891 &
1907). In 1908 ‘Rafferty’s High Class Drapery Store’
was converted into the town hall, with an UDC
chamber, ballroom, library, and social club. Sev-
eral images in the Eason collection of the national
library photographic archives show this early 20th
century building, a three bay three storey gabled
structure, with attic and dormer windows to the
roof. There are two storey box bay windows flank-
ing an elliptical arched entrance with raised let-
tering over (reading Town Hall), and the façade
was ornamented by harp motif and several foliate
swags. (Figure 8).
The site was destroyed by British forces in 1920
as a reprisal for a raid on Mallow Army Barracks
by Irish rebels (Bolster 1971). A hand recoloured
photograph from the early 1920s shows the burnt
remains of the building, with the central steps,
part of an arched entrance and the western gable
with chimney stack still standing. There may be,
therefore, fragments of this original building re-
tained in the present structure. (Figure 9).
The UDC invited tenders for the rebuilding
of the site in December 1924, and O’Flynn and
O’Connor architects submitted proposals (www.
dia.ie). The present building on site was erected in
1926 (Browne 2020). Denis Joseph Buckley is re-
corded in the Irish Builder (IB 82, 20 Jul 1940, 474)
as having carried out some repairs to the building
in 1940.
The Mallow Pilgrim Players hosted regular
shows in the first-floor concert hall in the mid-20th
century, Jimmy O’Dea, Maureen Potter and Cecil
Sheridan all performed here (www.independent.
ie).
The building is owned by Cork County Coun-
cil and was partially refurbished in 2013 with re-
medial works to the roof, repair or replacement of
windows along with structural and masonry re-
pairs. However, the building has remained largely
unoccupied and unused for some years with its
6Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
Figure 6: First Edition OS map, Mallow c.1840. Figure 7: 25 inch OS map, c.1900.
Figure 9: Detail from 'Town Hall ruins, Mallow' c.1920
(www.rareirishstuff.com).
Figure 8: Eason Collection image c.1900 NLI EAS_0900 .
7Blue Brick Heritage
Extant Structure record
The site is understood as having two distinct
parts, the Town Hall building (the house) at the
north, fronting onto Davis Street, and a hall/the-
atre (the Hall) at the south. Rear access from the
Main Street (Davis Street) at present is via a nearby
arched entrance leading to a carpark, part of the
neighbouring Ulster Bank. The plot bends at an ob-
tuse angle to the south with the house at north end
of the property aligned with Davis Street (north-
west to southeast) and the rear aligned roughly
north-south creating a right angle with St Marys
Church (located to the south).
External description
Roof (house and hall)
Overall the roof is in moderate condition, it
was replaced within the past decade, with some
repairs spliced into the extant structure, however Figure 10: View to roof at west gable 'House'.
there continues to be issues with water ingress in-
ternally. Proposals include repairs to the roof to
address this.
The roof of the house at north end is gabled,
running parallel to Main Street. It is slated, with
a single small rooflight concealed by a redbrick
parapet with render coping. There is a rendered
chimneystack to the west gable end and a red-
brick stack to the east- this appears to have been
repointed within the past 10 years. A third ren-
dered chimneystack is set along the southern edge
of the ‘house’ roof. The building retains cast-iron
rainwater goods. The flue covers are modern. There
are box rainwater hoppers leading from the par-
apet to the west gable, the downpipe in this area
gas been somewhat modified to accommodate the
remains of an adjoining gable associated with the
neighbouring property. This gable remnant meet-
ing the west wall of the town hall at second story
level, slightly higher than the present roof line on
the street. (Figure 10)
The hall, at the south half of the site, has a
gabled roof running perpendicular to that of the Figure 11: View to roof, hall at rear, from west.
8Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
‘house’. It is slated. There are dormer windows on
either face at the north end of this section of roof.
A small chimney breaks the roofline near the im-
post at the north end south of the Dormer window
(Figure 11). At the south end of the roof, on the
west elevation, a larger dormer window crosses
the roofline and is set partly in the buildings wall.
(Figure 11).
The small link building joining the house to
the hall is flat roofed and thought to be leaded, al-
though access was not possible.
Front (north) elevation.
The façade onto Davis Street is a five bay three
story building (Figure 12). There is a red brick par-
apet wall to the roof with render coping and shoul-
dered render panels to either end. The walls, too,
are red brick English garden wall bond. There are
tooled limestone corner pilasters and flush lime-
Figure 12: Front.
stone string courses defining the division between
floors and at junction of walls and parapet, and a
limestone plinth course.
The window openings are all square-headed
and all have replacement timber margined one-
over-one pane timber sliding sash windows, red
brick voussoirs and cut limestone sills. They di-
minish in size to the upper floor. The window
opening to central bay of first floor has a decorative
cast-iron balcony and carved limestone surround
comprising architrave and frieze with square re-
cessed panel and attached oval panel, flanking
pilasters with square-headed recessed panels, and
fluted console brackets supporting cornice.
The door to the centre bay ground floor is
round-headed, with timber panelled double-leaf
door and spoked fanlight, carved limestone sur-
round comprising voussoirs and projecting key-
stone surrounded by square-headed architrave
with adjoining rope twist moulding and Celtic in-
terlace motif in relief. It is approached by a ramp
from the west side, and steps to the front. Inter-
nally there is evidence that this is the original door,
shorted by the removal of parts of the upper panels Figure 13: East.
9Blue Brick Heritage
when the entrance was elevated to accommodate
a wheelchair accessible ramp. The latter is cement
with metal handrails and approaches from the
west.
There are two wall mounted plaques to the
ground floor east of the door.
The north elevation of the rear section (the
hall) is apparent as the top of a gable over the flat
roofed link section. The walls are rendered. There is
a single window opening, an oculus, which opens
onto the hall balcony internally.
(See, Drawing 1 below)
East elevation
The walls are plaster rendered. The return of
the house at north end stands three storeys, ad-
joined by a flat arched carriage entrance and three
storey high neighbouring building (Ulster Bank).
Within the arch a shallow step back in the wall of
the Town Hall may suggest the remnants of the
Figure 14: East.
19th century building (burned in 1920s). A tim-
ber framed awning window covered by a security
grill is set in a low half-basement opening imme- The ground floor window openings comprise a
diately inside the arched entrance passage. Above blocked square headed door opening at south end,
this, two bays of flat headed window openings with apparent as a colour change in the plaster in pre-
replacement timber sash and render sills light the vious surveys- although this is now less clear be-
house structure. (Figure 13). cause of repainting. Next to this, at north is a small
blocked window opening. To the north of this are
The short link section stands three stories high three rectangular window openings, each with two
and is a single bay wide, it has square headed win- timber framed panes, set high over what is prob-
dow openings with render sills and replacement ably infilled door space. At the north end of the
timber sash window. The uppermost sill is slightly elevation there are a further two window openings.
enlarged. (See, Drawing 1 below, and figure 14).
The hall at south stands seven bays long and
South elevation
two-stories high with attic. The attic is lit by a dor-
mer window at north. The south elevation is dominated by the gable
The first-floor window openings comprise of of the hall section. The walls are painted render.
a high four pane timber framed window set in a It is three bays wide, with square headed window
square opening at south, four tall timber framed openings to first floor level (two high square win-
windows (2x4 pane) set in rectangular openings dows to east and a larger square opening io west of
towards the centre, and a low square window with centre) and a door and window opening to ground
timber framed fixed pane and awning window to floor. A cement pier is set against the wall to the
the north end. At the south end two small rectan- east of the door, and a block pedestal for an oil tank
gular windows between first and ground floor level adjoins the gable east of this.
light a stair internally. (See, Drawing 1 below, and Figure 15).
10Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
West elevation
The west elevation is rendered and paint-
ed. There are two bays of windows visible to the
‘house’, narrow strip/clerestory windows to ground
floor overlooking an adjoining felt flat roof. Above
this is a square headed opening and to the upper
floor there are two windows, all with replacement
timber windows.
The link section is three bays wide; three win-
dows are evenly spaced to the second floor level,
with a wide multiple pane window below this to
first floor. A door is set to ground floor level at the
south end of the link near where it joins the hall.
The hall at south is six bays wide. At north end
attic level, a true dormer window (blocked) is set
into the roof, while at the opposite end a half dor-
mer window spans the roof and upper floor level.
The first-floor window openings comprise of four
tall timber framed windows (2x4 pane) set in rect- Figure 15: South.
angular openings towards the centre. The south-
ernmost of these windows has a door addition to
its base (timber battened), opening onto an exter-
nal fire escape stair. This is iron framed, with Doric
style pillars supporting i-bars. The capitals of the
pillars have raised lettering reading Moore Bel-
fast. A low square window (timber framed fixed
pane and awning) is set to the north end in line
with the dormer bay. Two smaller widow openings
at the south end of the elevation span the ground
and first floor level and overlook the fire stairs. To
the ground floor level there is a square headed door
at north (timber batten). A paired window open-
ing (replacement timber sliding sash) immediately
south of this, a door (glazed uPVC) south of this Figure 16: West.
opening onto a ramp and series of steps travers-
ing a step in the ground level and accommodating
elevation changes associated with the raised floor
internally. There are two doors south of this step in
ground level, one leading to a boiler room and the
second, with overlight, accessing the hall proper.
South of this a block pedestal wall supports an oil
tank adjoining the wall. A door beneath the fire
escape stairs (double leaf timber battened) and a
window at the southern end completes the open-
ings to this elevation.
(See, Drawing 1 below, and figure 16, 17).
Figure 17: Fire stair detail.
11Blue Brick Heritage
Elevations
PROJECT CLIENT DRAWING NO. DRAWN BY DATE SCALE
Mallow Town Hall Cork County 01 Cork County Council- 11/02/2021 not to scale
Theatre Council annotated by ET
12Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
Room
GF2
Room Room
Room GF1 GF4
GF3
Room
GF8 Room
Room GF5
GF7
Room
GF6 Room
GF9
Room
Room GF10
GF11
Room B
2
Room
B3
Room B Room
1
GF12
Room
GF13
Basement
Ground Floor
Basement and Ground Floor Plans
PROJECT CLIENT DRAWING NO. DRAWN BY DATE SCALE
Mallow Town Hall Cork County 02 Cork County Council- 11/02/2021 not to scale
Theatre Council annotated by ET
13Blue Brick Heritage
Internal description
Basement
There are three rooms to the basement, which
is located under the house at the north of the site.
The access from the ground floor is via a five panel
timber door with simple architrave. The walls of
the stairwell are unrendered cement blocks. (Fig-
ure 18, and See drawing 2 for room locations).
Room B1
The basement stairs, leading from the centre of
the ‘house’, access room B1. The stairs have lipped
timber risers, simple handrails and undecorated
newel posts. (Figure 19). Two timber supports Figure 18: Door to basement from ground floor level.
stand at the base of the stairs to the east. The room
is roughly rectangular in plan, with the north
wall broken by two openings linking this room
to Room B2. The ceiling is covered in panel board
and is supported by metal beams on cement block
columns. The walls are lightly plastered but it is
possible to see the outline of stones in places. The
floors are cement. (Figure 20).
Room B2
Accessed via two breaks in the south wall con-
necting this room to Room B1. The ceiling is sup-
ported by metal beams on cement piers. A cement
rendered projection from the north wall now forms
part of the ceiling supports, it may be associated
with the entrance area of the original 19th century
town hall (a projecting porch with recessed stepped Figure 19: Basement stairs.
entrance is shown on archival images, this would
have necessitated some supporting walls here in
the basement area, ref to Figure 8 above, figure 9
above appears to show the arched entrance in situ
after the fire). A chimneybreast juts into the room
from the west wall and pipes enter from the street
in the northeast corner. The walls are plastered and
rendered in places, but the northeast corner of the
room has some clearly discernible coursed rubble
wall fabric; the floors are cement. (Figure 21).
Figure 20: Room B1.
14Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
Room B3
The west wall of the room is angled giving the
room a roughly triangular plan and reflecting the
site plot layout. The room is entered via a timber
battened door leading from Room B1 at the foot
of the stairs. (Figure22). The floor is cement and
the ceiling panelled in board. At south the walls
is stepped where a chimneybreast projects out.
(Figure 23). The wall is primarily of stone but with
some brick infill in the chimneybreast. The walls at
east and west are scarred with the remains of seg-
mental arched cubby openings associated with its
former use as a coal store. The arches survive best
(although not at all complete) at west, were there
are clear remains of two levels of arched shelves
built of red brick, well fired but probably seconds.
Figure 21: Room B2. There are shaped bricks forming a sloped line
Figure 23: Room B3 from north end.
Figure 22: Door to Room B3. Figure 24: Detail of arches.
15Blue Brick Heritage
Figure 27: Cieling room GF1.
Figure 25: Entrance door (Room GF1).
Figure 28: GF1 looking south with stairs.
Figure 26: Room GF1 looking north.
Figure 29: Stairwell from ground floor room GF1.
16Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
along the north wall. (Figure 24, above). The north
wall proper is a rougher built stone wall, and the
red brick components of the room are clearly butt-
joined onto this. The stone wall is slightly wider at
base. It is likely that the rubble wall represents the
remnants of the 19th century building, and these
brick-built arched shelves were added after the
initial build, it is unclear whether they represent
the remodelling associated with the new structure
(1920) or if they indicate an intermediate phase of
works on site (see discussion of date and phases
below).
Ground floor
There are 12 rooms to the ground floor, exclud-
ing subdivisions, and a boiler room which is ac-
cessed from external doors only. (See drawing 2).
Figure 30: Room GF2.
Room GF1
ing in the stringers indicating the former presence
This room, a hallway, leads from the main of gas lighting to the stairwell. (Figures 28 & 29,
door at the north through the building towards the previous page). There is a blocked door in the west
south. The door at north opens into a small lobby wall at the foot of the stairs (ref Figure 26). The hall
area with (replacement) limestone slab floor. The continues past the stairs at east, with a door access-
main entrance door, although likely original, was ing Room GF5 midway along, and a door accesses
modified with the shortening of the uppermost the rear of the property via room GF6 to the south.
panels to accommodate the changes to the entrance A third door, accessing the stairs to the basement,
when the ramp was added. (Figure 25, above). A is set under the stairs near the south. Timber door
modern unpanelled door in a (modern) panelled architraves remain in situ and doors are timber
wall to the east side of the lobby opens into a small panelled, probably all dating to the construction of
cupboard (not accessible). A sliding door set with- the building proper in the 1920s.
in the (replacement panelled) west wall of the lob-
by opens into the former tourist office and a sec-
Room GF2
ond glass sliding door within a panelled early 20th
century doorcase accesses the main hall at south. Located in the northwest corner of the build-
(Figure 26, previous page). South of the 20th cen- ing, this room was most recently used as the tour-
tury doorcase the ceiling is plastered and retains ist information office, it was formerly the council
scalloped architrave and ceiling rose. There are chamber. Room GF2 is accessed via a sliding door
several recessed directional lights. (Figure 27, pre- opening off the lobby/porch at the north of room
vious page). A stair leading to the upper floors is set GF1. The original door, opening off the hall prop-
against the west wall. This is an open well timber er, is blocked. The room is lit by two windows in
stair with; ball finials on square plan shouldered the north wall overlooking the street. (Figure 30).
newel posts; timber handrail with turned balus- There is a blocked fireplace in a projecting chim-
ters, winding in an s curve around the half land- neybreast in the west wall. A beam supports the
ing; closed stringers and lino covered treads; and ceiling over, which retains architraves and picture
the remains of a single glass outlet at the top land- rail.
17Blue Brick Heritage
Room GF3 Room GF4
Room GF3 is located to the south of GF2 and This room occupies the northeast corner of the
accessed via an opening in the north wall of the property and is lit by two windows (replacement
room, which has an incorporated counter forming sash) in the north wall overlooking the street. Sig-
part of the tourist information office facilities (Fig- nificant damp is evident in the northeast corner of
ure 31, view from GF2). The room is subdivided the room, particularly in the north wall. (Figure
and the southern part in use as an office (Figure 33). The room is accessed via a door in the south
32). A door in the south accesses the link section wall, which is a narrow partition wall with a hatch
of the property and Room GF7. The west wall is window set to the west of the central door. (Figure
angled lending the room a triangular shape. There 34). There is a fireplace (blocked) in the east wall,
are steps leading up from the south in the doorway. set in a projecting chimneybreast. The partition
Two clerestory windows in the west wall light the wall joins this chimneybreast south of centre indi-
room. cating it is modern.
Figure 31: View to Room GF3 from north in GF2. Figure 33: Room GF4 north wall.
Figure 32: Room GF3 at south of partition. Figure 34: View to room GF4 from south.
18Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
Room GF5 Room GF6
Room GF5, formerly a town council office, is This room functions as a hallway in the link
located to the south of GF4, in the southeast corner building section of the property, it is located south
of the ‘House’ section of the property. (Figure 35). of Room GF1. The room is irregular in shape, wider
A door in the west wall accessed the room, and a at north than south and with angled walls to east
second door in the south wall, near the southwest and west. Doors in the north wall access Rooms
corner, accesses the rear of the property. There are GF1 and GF5, a door in the south wall accesses the
steps up to GF5 in this doorway. The room is lit by ‘Hall’, a door in the east access GF9 while a door
two windows in the east wall. The ceiling is sup- in west access GF7. There is a ramp in the north-
ported by beams. The ceiling is plastered and the west corner of the room leading up to the door to
floor carpeted, the walls are plastered and divided GF1, and steps in the doorway to GF5. A door in
by a dado rail and picture rail, both of which ap- the west wall, in the southwest corner of the room,
pear to be modern. A fireplace surround set in the access the exterior. There are no windows. The ceil-
south wall of the room has simple moulded mantel ing is plastered, as are the walls, with modern dado
and chamfered fire surround. (Figure 36). This is rail. The floor is covered in lino. (Figure37).
similar to a fireplace extant in FF2, although the
latter is larger, and probably dates to the recon-
struction of the building in 1926.
Figure 37: Room GF6.
Figure 35: View to room GF5 from north.
Figure 36: Fireplace room GF5. Figure 38: Room GF7.
19Blue Brick Heritage
Room GF7 Room GF8
Located in the west of the link section, this
This room comprises a toilet block attached
room serves as a kitchen and hall, divided by an
to the west side of the building. The room is lit by
L-shaped partition wall, and lit by a skylight in the
a skylight, two windows in the north wall, one in
ceiling and a window in the south wall (Figure 38).
the west and one in the south. The room is divided
The room is accessed via a door in the east wall
into four by partition walls, creating a lobby/entry
leading from GF6, and a door in the west wall leads
at east, and two toilet cubicles and a clean store at
to an attached toilet block (GF8). A door with steps
west. (Figure 39).
in the north leads to GF3.
Room GF9
Located to the east of the link section of the
property and accessed via a door in Room GF6.
This room is wedge shaped, narrower at east, and
with an angled west wall. The room was most re-
cently an office. The walls and ceiling are plastered,
a moulded picture rail and skirting board remain
to the north and south walls, the west wall is a re-
cent rebuild, the window in the east occupies al-
most all of the east wall, a plywood boxed in area
immediately south of the window conceals the rest
of the east wall. The floor is carpeted. (Figure 40).
There is a small early 20th century style fireplace
surround to a blocked fireplace in the north wall.
(Figure 41).
Figure 39: View to room GF8.
Figure 41: Fireplace room GF9.
Figure 40: Room GF9.
20Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
Room GF10
Forming the northeast corner of the ‘hall’ cre-
ated by recent partition wall construction. The
ceiling is plastered plywood, the walls plastered
and the floor carpeted. The room is lit by two win-
dows in the east wall, and accessed via a door in
the northwest corner. (Figure 42).
Room GF11
Forming the northwest corner of the hall sec-
tion of the property this room is in use as a storage
space. The ceiling is plastered plywood, the walls
Figure 42: Room GF10. plastered and the floor carpeted over replacement
timber boards. (Figure 43). A plasterboard parti-
tion wall in the north of the room divides the main
space from a narrow hallway. (Figure 44). Part
glazed doors in the west wall light both rooms.
Room GF 12
This room comprises the southern end of the
hall. The room is lit by small windows in the south
and west and a door at south accesses the exterior.
There is a sink against the south wall.
Hall area – not listed
The main area of the theatre hall has a raised
Figure 43: Room GF11. floor, creating a subfloor at this ground level. The
subfloor space was not accessed. The boiler room
occupies the northwest corner of this area accessed
via an external door. The boiler room was not
accessed.
Figure 44: Room GF11 hall.
21Blue Brick Heritage
Room
FF2
Room
FF3
Room
FF4
Room
FF1
Room
FF5
Room Room
FF6 SF2
Room Room
Room SF3 SF4
FF7 Room
Room SF6
SF1 Room
SF5
Room
SF7
Room Room
SF9 SF8
Room
Room SF10 Room
FF8 SF11
Room
SF12
Room
FF9
First Floor
Room
SF13
Second Floor
First and second Floor Plans
PROJECT CLIENT DRAWING NO. DRAWN BY DATE SCALE
Mallow Town Hall Cork County 03 Cork County Council- 11/02/2021 not to scale
Theatre Council annotated by ET
22Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
First floor
There are 9 rooms to the first floor, excluding
subdivisions and a boiler room which is accessed
from external doors only. (See Drawing 3).
Room FF1
This room comprises the main (central) stairs
at first landing and first floor level (Figure 45).
Double doors open off the stairwell at half-land-
ing/mezzanine level. These access the south of
the property via the link building (Room FF6). A
narrow partition wall divides the main run of the
stairs from the first-floor hallway proper. There are
three doors to this hallway, a blocked set of double Figure 45: Room FF1, doors to hall from stairs.
doors in the north accessing Room FF2 (Figure
46), and doors to the west and east accessing rooms
FF3 and FF5, respectively. The walls and ceiling are
plastered, with recent dado rail, the floor is lino
covered. The double door architrave at mezzanine
and 1st floor landing are matching, with channelled
mouldings and circular panels to the corners, the
doors are timber panel, mid-20th century in style.
Room FF2
Occupying the northwest corner of the ‘house’
section of the property, this large room is lit by four
(replacement) margined sash windows in the north
wall overlooking the street. There is a fireplace
against the west wall with panelled risers flanking
Figure 46: FF1 doors at first floor landing.
scalloped hearth opening (identical to fireplace in
GF5), and moulded sill. The hearth opening itself
is bricked up. (Figure 47). A door in the south wall
near the southwest corner accesses Room FF3. A
door in the east wall near the southeast corner ac-
cesses Room FF4. (Figure 48). The ceiling has plas-
tered (steel) beams, scalloped cornices, and shows
significant damp ingress. The walls are plastered
with picture rail and timber door architraves re-
mains to the south wall and southeast corner. The
skirting boards are removed and there is evidence
of damage and damp along the west wall in par-
ticular. This may be related to the possible integra-
tion of surviving early 19th century fabric into the
1926 building along this wall, the earlier fabric be-
Figure 47: Room FF2.
23Blue Brick Heritage
ing potentially more porous. The floor is lino and
carpet over timber beams.
Room FF3
Set to the south of FF2 and west of the stairs
(FF1). The room is divided by partition walls into
a lobby, clean store, and ladies and men’s toilets. A
single window in the west wall lights the wedge-
shaped room(s), which is accessed via a door in the
north wall from FF2 and a door in the east wall
from FF1. The floor is tiled the walls and ceiling
plastered and painted, there are no features of ar-
chitectural heritage interest. (Figures 49, 50).
Figure 48: Room FF2, south wall and southeast corner.
Room FF4
This room is set in the northeast corner of the
‘house’. FF4 is lit by a window in the north wall
overlooking the street (replacement timber sash).
There is a fireplace in the east wall, with fire sur-
round identical to that in FF2 but with the hearth
opening area retiled in recent ceramic tiles. As
elsewhere, the ceiling is supported by beams clad
in plaster. There are scalloped cornice mouldings
to the north, east and south. The west wall is an
insert, made of plasterboard, and does not have a
cornice moulding, the picture rail does carry onto
this wall suggesting it is a later addition to the
room. The floor is carpeted, where this has been Figure 49: Room FF3.
lifted against the north wall the floorboards are re-
vealed, there has been significant damp ingress in
the northeast corner of the room. The doors retain
channelled architrave identical to those noted else-
where. The doors are panelled early 20th century in
date. (Figure 51, 52, 53).
Room FF5
Located to the south of FF4, this room is lit by
windows in the east wall (replacement sash) and
has a fireplace against the south wall. (Figure 54).
The ceiling is supported by a single beam, clad as
elsewhere. The room is accessed via a door from
the hall (FF1) in the west wall near the northwest
corner, with the same channelled architraves and
timber panel doors noted elsewhere. A second door
in the north wall accesses Room FF4. The room Figure 50: Room FF3.
24Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
Figure 51: Room FF4 from south. Figure 54: Room FF5.
Figure 52: Fireplace room FF4.
Figure 55: Fireplace FF5.
Figure 53: Room FF4, door.. Figure 56: Room FF6 from south.
25Blue Brick Heritage
was in use as a bar, the bar counter is set in the east
next to the window. The floor is carpeted over tim-
ber, the walls and ceilings plastered and painted.
The scalloped cornice mouldings and picture rails
noted in other rooms at the front of the ‘house’ are
again present here. The fireplace in the south wall
again matches those in other rooms, with moulded
mantel and chamfered fire surround, it has been
overpainted and the hearth opening is painted
brick. A fire hood sits within the opening, having
fallen from its original position. (Figure 55).
Room FF6
This room occupies the entire link building be-
tween the ‘house’ at north and the ‘hall’ at south
and it recently functioned as the Library Foyer. The
room is wedge shaped, narrower at east, and is lit
by windows in the east (replacement timber sash)
and west walls (timber fixed pane). Three open-
ings in the south wall access room FF7, and double
doors in the north wall near the northwest corner
Figure 57: Room FF7.
access the stairs (FF1). There are three beams to the
ceiling, plastered over but without the decorative
cornice mouldings seen elsewhere. The panelled
walling below the dado rail is recent cement wall
panelling. There is a moulded timber architrave to
the windows to both east and west. (Figure 56).
Room FF7
This room occupies the north end of the ‘hall’.
The room is divided in two by a narrow, doglegged
partition wall to the east of centre, with a sink
set against the partition wall at north and a door
at south. There are windows in the east and west
walls. A door to the south wall leads to Room FF8.
The floor is lino, the walls and ceiling painted plas-
ter. (Figure 57).
Room FF8
This room comprises the ‘hall’. It is lit by three
tall windows in both the east and west walls. The
southmost ope at west has been extended to incor-
porate a door at base, opening to an external fire
Figure 58: Room FF8 looking North.
escape. Doors in the south wall, near the south-
west and southeast corners, access timber stairs
26Mallow Town Hall, Mallow Town Hall, Mallow, Co. Cork
Figure 60: Room FF8 from north.
Figure 59: West wall FF8.
and Room FF9, the under-stage area. The room
has walls panelled (modern) below dado level. The
ceiling has an exposed timber open truss roof,
with boarded ceiling over, and arched truss, plain
tie-beams and decorative turned posts. The stage
opening at south has a moulded paster architrave
(the ope itself is boarded over). (Figure 58, 59, 60).
Room FF9
This room serves as the under-stage area, the
ceiling is low, with the base of the joist above 56.81.
(Figure 61). There are timber stairs to the east
and west, lit by two windows respectively (Figure Figure 61: View to room FF9 (understage).
63, see also room SF13 for detailed description of
stairs), and partition walls throughout (Figure 62).
The 2010 survey shows timber battened walling to
parts of this room, with possible internal windows
with moulded timber architraves. However, when
surveyed in 2021, the stud walls were exposed and
the battening and details had been removed -the
asbestos survey had identified both asbestos con-
taining wall panelling and asbestos ceiling panel-
ling throughout this area.
Figure 62: Detail to studwork.
27Blue Brick Heritage
Second floor
There are 13 rooms to the second floor, exclud-
ing subdivisions and a boiler room which is ac-
cessed from external doors only. (See drawing 3
for room locations).
Room SF1
This room, the upper level of the stairs, is lit by
a large roof light (replacement). (Figure 64). There
is a hatch to the attic to the north of the stairwell.
The u-shaped landing has two doors in the west
Figure 63: Steps FF9 stairs.
wall, one in the north and one in the east near the
northeast corner of the room. There is a doorway
with two steps (up) opening off the landing in the
south wall accessing the south of the property
(Figure 65). The wall here has a large crack visible
where plaster has been removed, it is possible to see
in this area, and in the texture of plaster over the
mezzanine door, that the upper levels of the wall
are repaired, or even rebuilt, in cement blockwork,
but that the original wall was coursed rubble stone.
The stair banister is supported across the well
opening by an iron brace bar, and a gas outlet is
apparent in the stringer at mezzanine landing level
(Figure 66).
Figure 64: View to landing SF1 (looking south).
Room SF2
This room occupies the northwest corner of
the ‘house’. The floor is lino over timber, the walls
and ceiling plasterboard. There is a partition wall
dividing the room in two, to the east of centre (Fig-
ure 67, 68). The three windows (margined sash) in
the north wall have simple timber architraves. A
door in the south wall leads to Room SF3, and a
second door in south leads to SF1, the stairs. The
fireplace is modern (1970s style faux stone). The
plaster has been removed from the walls in places
revealing predominantly brick walls, continuous
between the front (north) and side (west). The pre-
vious town hall building was not as tall as the pres-
ent structure. The change in building fabric on the
west and east walls at this level appears to confirm
that the stone components seen at the lower level
are vestiges of the previous structure. The top of
Figure 65: Access to rear from stairwell.
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