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Braintree Town Hall........a proud heritage
Laying the foundation stone of Braintree Town Hall,
on 16th October 1926
The Town Hall’s foundation stone was laid by Mr G T Bartram on 16th
October 1926 and the building was officially opened by the Rt Hon
the Earl of Crawford and Balcarres, on 22 May 1928.
Braintree’s great benefactor William Julian Courtauld paid over
£50,000, in a great act of generosity.
 
(L-R) George Bartram and William
Julien Courtauld
Previously the Town Hall was the site of a cattle market and
earlier on March 28th 1555, William Pygot, a protestant
martyr was burnt at the stake for his religious beliefs at the
site of the Town Hall.
William Julian Courtauld engaged one of the foremost architects of
the day, Vincent Harris and told him, ‘I only want the best’ and he
was not disappointed. The foundations, floor and roof of this
beautifully proportioned Georgian building are of reinforced
concrete and this makes the building an early example of the use of
this material. The building is faced with narrow sand-faced
bricks from Holland with a band of Portland stone at first floor
and eaves level.
Braintree Town Hall, 1928
The grand style of the Town Hall did not stop at the Dutch
brickwork, stone dado, plinth and cornice that delight the eye from
the Market Place. The same extravagant care went into every corner,
from the lonely figure on top of the bell tower whose message ‘Hold
to the Truth’ goes unnoticed, the Renaissance style bell tower,
decorated with the Braintree coat of arms, whose bells still chime;
to each individually decorated room.
The Window
The stairway to the first floor is overlooked by a stained glass
window depicting the Braintree coat of arms on a banner held by the
female figure of Truth, with a view of St Michael’s church beneath.
Within the stained glass is a coffee pot, the mark of the artist
George Kruger Gray. Columns either side of the staircase contain
carved roundels, one representing farming and the other
industry.
The Council Chamber at the time
of its completion in 1928
The council chamber is panelled in oak with an inlay of holly, and
has 14 painted murals, depicting important events in the town’s
history, such as, King John presenting the market charter, the
Danes at the Battle of Maldon, the sailing of the Lyon and the
Roman occupation, painted by Maurice Greiffenhagen RA.
One of the painted murals
The Chairman's Room photographed
in 1928 when the Town Hall was completed
The Chairman’s room has walnut panelling and the ceiling
has a beautiful map of Essex painted by Henry Rushbury RA. At its
four corners are the Royal Arms, the Arms of the See of Chelmsford
and those of the Essex Regiment and Braintree. The committee rooms
are panelled in Pear and downstairs the rooms are panelled in oak,
elm, chestnut and Australian beanwood.
In its original glory, the car park at the rear had ornate iron
railings, but during World War II they were removed to be turned
into munitions.
The Town Hall housed the council offices from 1928 to 1981, when
Braintree District Council built the new Causeway House premises in
Bocking End. The building is now used for meetings, weddings, and
functions.
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