Sutton Coldfield Town Hall

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The front façade of Sutton Town Hall with the clock tower at the end.

Sutton Coldfield Town Hall is a theatre building in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England.

The town hall's position on the edge of a steep slope means that it has views over large amounts of south Sutton Coldfield whilst the northern area remains at the same gradient.

The town hall is a theatre and a centre for social functions. Large joint productions by Bishop Vesey's Grammar School and Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls are performed at the town hall. Concerts are also performed there with recent performers being the CBSO. It is also a wedding venue.

On October 9, 2006, work to repair the roof and refurbish the building. It will cost £46,000 and take 20 weeks to complete. Areas of the building in need of repair included the roof of the Vesey Lounge which was leaking, with water affecting both the internal decoration and the lounge's carpet.[1]

[edit] History of the building

The war memorial to those who died in World War I outside of the town hall. It was unveiled on November 1, 1922.

The building consists of an 1865 structure and an 1906 extension.

In 1865 the Royal Hotel was built on a small eminence above the newly opened railway station to serve the needs of visitors to the town. Throughout its short life the hotel was beset with financial difficulties and closed in 1895. For a short time the building was occupied by the Sutton Coldfield Sanatorium but in December 1901 was sold for £9000 to the Sutton Corporation to serve as Council Offices. The old Town Hall in Mill Street was sold in February 1903 and the Corporation began an ambitious extension to the building to provide a purpose built Town Hall comprising Council Chambers, Assembly Rooms and a Fire Station. The extension was completed at a cost of £10,000 and opened as Sutton Coldfield Town Hall in 1906.

The Sutton Coldfield coat of arms above the entrance to the Neighbourhood Office section of the town hall.

The Fire Station remained in use until it was replaced by a new building on Lichfield Road in 1963; later the old premises became the Bedford Suite. When Sutton Coldfield was absorbed into Birmingham in 1974, the Town Hall became redundant and was required to change its usage. During the transformation, the original elegant and elaborate architecture to minor details was retained. The original interior decor, which is equally detailed, remained however some has been removed due to damage. The tower, which rises from one of the main entrances, has a clock face on all four sides. The Sutton Coldfield coat of arms, which was absorbed into the Birmingham Coat of Arms, is located above the entrance.