Conservation & Heritage Issue 49 October 2025 - Flipbook - Page 62
Pomp and Circumstance
Restored: Conservation
of Burnley Town Hall’s
Victorian Council Chamber
Burnley Town Hall, located on Manchester Road, Burnley, was designed by Holtom and
Fox of Dewsbury between 1884 and 1888. The building reflects the civic pride of lateVictorian Lancashire and historically housed the Council Chamber, magistrates’ court,
police station, and public baths.
The Council Chamber is distinguished by a decorated
coved and coffered barrel ceiling featuring heraldic
devices of Lancashire boroughs and a gilded lettered
frieze commemorating Burnley’s civic history. Alterations
in 1973 removed much of the original panelling
and furnishings, while recent structural assessments
highlighted deficiencies requiring urgent repair. This
article outlines Calibre Conservation’s approach to
stabilising and conserving this significant interior.
Historical Significance
Calibre has restored the “pomp and circumstance” to
the Victorian Council Chamber at Burnley Town Hall.
As described in the Blackburn Standard (9th September
1893), “the Council Chamber… has been elaborately
decorated and gilded. The principal feature of the
ornamentation is the adornment of the ceiling, which has
been set out in frescoes, bearing the principal coats of
arms of the county boroughs of Lancashire. Underneath,
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around the walls, is a border containing a record of
Burnley’s municipal history and progress, together with
names of respective Mayors and their periods of office.”
Investigation and Condition Survey
A detailed condition survey revealed that prolonged damp
had weakened plaster substrates, resulting in friable panels
and friezes, with areas affected by dry rot. Decorative
stencilling was traced before fragile plaster was removed,
ensuring patterns could be reinstated later. Sections of
cornice and wall plaster affected by dry rot were cut out
following the application of temporary Japanese tissue
facings to protect adjoining decoration. Removal was
carried out using multi-tool cutters and hand saws, with
all waste carefully bagged, sealed, and safely removed from
site. Gilded friezes were discovered beneath the modern
frieze and woodchip wallpaper, highlighting the original
decorative richness.
Conservation & Heritage Journal
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