Description

TQ 48 SW BARKING ROAD E6
(South side)
Newham Council Offices

251/4/13 (Formerly Listed as:
East Ham Town Hall)

GV II*

Town Hall. 1901-3 by Cheers & Smith. London stock brick clad with glazed red Accrington brick with terracotta details; slate roofs. Irregular plan in Edwardian Baroque style.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys. North front consists of 6-window range flanked by a 2-window range to left and by a 3-stage tower to right. To right of tower is a further single-window range in 3 storeys under a shaped gable, and an entrance bay to extreme right. 6-b8y element with 2- and 3-light terracotta casement windows with transoms and segmental heads to each floor. Pilaster strips between ground-floor windows finished with arched heads. Machicolated cornice and elaborate parapet.
2 bays to left with irregular fenestration, that to left with gabled roof, to right with domed roof elaborated into a slate-hung octagonal lantern.
3-stage tower of square plan, with polygonal corner buttresses. Clock face to each side in second stage. Elaborate cornice above, and bell stage with 3 single-light arched openings to each side, with terracotta decoration above and below. Spire rising from parapet with corner pinnacles and upper lantern.
Bays to west of tower: 3-storey element lit through 3-light terracotta casements to first 2 floors, and through canted bay window above projecting entablature. Elaborately decorated shaped gable at top. To right is arched terracotta entrance bay: rusticated jambs, arch inscribed 'Public Hall'. Hipped roof with one pedimented dormer fitted with 3-light casement. Recessed pair of double half-glazed doors.
West return with similar details. Main entrance to offices in advanced 2-storey pedimented bay, the upper floor with coupled Composite columns framing an arched recess containing glazing and segmental hood to French doors to balcony.
INTERIOR: north entrance opens into dog-leg staircase to first floor. Lower flight with central oak balustrade with wrought-iron detailing. Tiled dados with decorated frieze tiles. Lincrusta cornices, mosaic floor and 2 bronze chandeliers designed by J.B. Tompkins for electric light. First-floor ante-chamber with male and female services either side of staircase. To right (south) is screen of 2 Devonshire marble columns leading to council chamber. Ahead are double 3-panelled oak doors leading to main hall between which is glazed timber ticket kiosk.
Main hall with stage at east end and recessed gallery at west end. Hall with pilasters to side walls, oak dado panelling. Plastered and coved ceiling in rectangular panels, from which are suspended 4 octagonal electric pulley lamps by J.B. Tompkins in Art Deco style. Stage under elliptical arch, gallery with twin Composite columns to left and similar pilasters to right.
To south of ante-chamber a passage leads to second dog-leg staircase with stone, oak and wrought-iron balustrade rising to twin segmental arches supported on polished Devonshire marble Composite column. Half-glazed double doors and 3-light windows at south end. Double doors lead to council chamber and committee rooms.
2 committee rooms with Lincrusta dado (renewed late C20), coved ceilings with recessed centre flat and Art Deco glazing in east and west tympana. Counterweighted dividing screen between the rooms.
Council chamber with elaborate oak dado panelling. Horseshoe arrangement of seats with fold-down writing tables. Raised dais with canopied centre chair for president and flanking side chairs. Ceiling divided into 9 rectangular compartments with strapwork plasterwork and central glazed dome fitted with Art Deco stained glass panels.
Roof of main hall of steel angle-iron trusses, repeated to other roofs. Ground-floor offices with main staircase and principal entrances to departments intact. Late C20 portable partitioning and suspended ceilings.
Basement with 4 police cells lined with glazed white tiles.

Listing NGR: TQ4268083544

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Newham Council Offices at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17553231

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)