STRATFORD TOWN HALL
Stratford Town Hall
Client: Stratford Town Council
Project: Stratford Town Hall - external repairs
Location: Stratford-upon-Avon
Status: Completed early 2022
Conservation-led external repairs and specialist redecoration to a Grade II civic building
Stratford-upon-Avon’s Grade II* listed Town Hall is a landmark civic building in the heart of the town, built in 1767–68 in golden Cotswold limestone ashlar. Originally constructed as an open arcade with a first-floor ballroom, the building has undergone several phases of alteration and repair, including major works following a fire in 1946. A statue of Shakespeare by John Cheere, presented by David Garrick c.1769, sits in a niche on the Sheep Street façade.
Oliver Architecture were appointed as conservation architects to the Town Council in 2020, supporting a phased programme of fabric maintenance, redecoration, and specialist conservation work. The primary focus was external repair and redecoration, targeting localised masonry deterioration, cast iron rainwater goods, and defective flat roofs to the rear.
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Repairs were carried out using traditional materials and techniques, including localised repointing in lime mortar, indented stonework, and replacement of failed Roman cement render with a breathable natural cement mix. Rainwater goods were upgraded to a marginally larger ogee-profile system in black powder-coated aluminium, closely matching the original appearance while improving resilience and capacity. Flat roofs were re-laid with high-performance felt over new cut-to-falls insulation to improve thermal performance.
Three elements required specialist conservation input: the consolidation of the town’s coat of arms in the pediment; sensitive cleaning of the “God Save The King” painted decoration on Chapel Street; and conservation work to the Shakespeare statue and its inscription. These works were designed and reviewed in consultation with conservator Alexandra Carrington ACR.
The scheme also incorporated the design and installation of a new lightning protection system, developed by Qoda Consulting, with discrete roof-level tapes and down conductors carefully integrated into the existing façades to minimise visual impact while meeting modern standards for risk mitigation.
Our approach sought to secure the long-term future of this much-loved civic building through careful, well-judged intervention, retaining its character and significance while addressing critical maintenance and safety need.
Three elements required specialist conservation input: the consolidation of the town’s coat of arms in the pediment; sensitive cleaning of the “God Save The King” painted decoration on Chapel Street; and conservation work to the Shakespeare statue and its inscription. These works were designed and reviewed in consultation with conservator Alexandra Carrington ACR.
The scheme also incorporated the design and installation of a new lightning protection system, developed by Qoda Consulting, with discrete roof-level tapes and down conductors carefully integrated into the existing façades to minimise visual impact while meeting modern standards for risk mitigation.
Our approach sought to secure the long-term future of this much-loved civic building through careful, well-judged intervention, retaining its character and significance while addressing critical maintenance and safety need.