Council House, Nottingham

Nottingham Council House is the city hall of Nottingham, England. The iconic 200ft high dome that rises above the city is the centrepiece of the skyline and presides over the Old Market Square (also referred to as the City Centre). The Council House was designed by Thomas Cecil Howitt and built between 1927 and 1929 in the Neo-Baroque style characterised by the huge pillars that circle the building along with the carvings on the facade. It replaced the former Nottingham Exchange. Housed within the dome the affectionately-nicknamed ‘Little John’ hour bell – for many years the deepest toned clock bell in the United Kingdom, weighing over 10t – whose strike can be heard for a distance of seven miles. The foundation stone (behind the left-hand lion as you approach the building) was laid by Alderman Herbert Bowles (Chairman of the Estates Committee), on 17 March 1927. The building was officially opened by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and the Duke of Windsor) on 22 May 1929. The total cost of the building at the time was £502, 876. By the time the bill was finally cleared in 1981, the total including interest was £620, 294. The building has staged many high-profile occasions; royalty, statesmen and women and stars of the stage and screen have been entertained there and both the F. A. and European Cups have been held aloft from its balcony.

Nottingham Council House is the city hall of Nottingham, England. The iconic 200ft high dome that rises above the city is the centrepiece of the skyline and presides over the Old Market Square (also referred to as the City Centre). The Council House was designed by Thomas Cecil Howitt and built between 1927 and 1929 in the Neo-Baroque style characterised by the huge pillars that circle the building along with the carvings on the facade. It replaced the former Nottingham Exchange. Housed within the dome the affectionately-nicknamed ‘Little John’ hour bell – for many years the deepest toned clock bell in the United Kingdom, weighing over 10t – whose strike can be heard for a distance of seven miles. The foundation stone (behind the left-hand lion as you approach the building) was laid by Alderman Herbert Bowles (Chairman of the Estates Committee), on 17 March 1927. The building was officially opened by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII and the Duke of Windsor) on 22 May 1929. The total cost of the building at the time was £502, 876. By the time the bill was finally cleared in 1981, the total including interest was £620, 294. The building has staged many high-profile occasions; royalty, statesmen and women and stars of the stage and screen have been entertained there and both the F. A. and European Cups have been held aloft from its balcony.