A Grade II listed building in the heart of Durham City will close from this weekend for restoration works.

Essential repairs will start on Durham Town Hall, to restore and preserve the building, as well as the artefacts within it.

The town hall will close from Saturday, 23 November, and is expected to open between the spring and summer of next year.

Durham County Council is working with specialist heritage consultants and contractors to undertake the restoration, including lime render to internal walls, improved drainage capacities, and modifications and repairs to the roof. 

(Image: Darin Smith)

It will also include a restoration of the Great Hall floor, returning it to the finish it had when the Great Hall first opened in 1851.

Cllr Elizabeth Scott, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for economy and partnerships, said: “Durham Town Hall is an iconic building which has been the centre of Durham’s economic and civic life since the 14th Century.

"In order to preserve this building for centuries more, we will be working with specialists to carry out essential restoration works of both the building and the important historical artefacts inside.

(Image: Darin Smith)Most read: 

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“We will also be using this as an opportunity to refresh the building with some new materials and features so that it can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.”

Durham Town Hall remains the official office of the Mayor of Durham and the Mayoral Bodyguard. It is also home to the Durham City Freemen and Guilds, an organisation dating back more than 500 years.

Garry Dunnill, chairman of the Durham City Freeman, said: “This is an opportunity not just to repair this magnificent building, steeped in civic pride and the history of local democracy, but to also professionally conserve and reassess the building’s historical artefacts.”