The Brook Theatre - The Brook, Chatham, Kent, UK
N 51° 23.110 E 000° 31.535
31U E 327824 N 5695564
The building was constructed in 1899 as Chatham Town Hall and was converted in 1988. The building is Grade II listed.
Waymark Code: WMGTF5
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/08/2013
Views: 4
The Medway
Council's website tells us:
"The Brook Theatre is situated in
Chatham's Old Town Hall, a thriving arts centre where you can explore theatre,
dance classes, gallery exhibitions and arts workshops.
The 400-seat auditorium offers
professional theatre, community productions, jazz and folk evenings, a
children's Christmas show and Medway Comedy Club, while the regular Studio
Showcase evenings offer a more intimate theatre experience."
The English
Heritage website tells us about the
building:
"Town hall, now arts centre. 1899,
by GE Bond, converted 1988. Bath limestone ashlar with ragstone rock-faced
plinth and slate roof with copper cupola.
STYLE: Free Renaissance.
PLAN: irregular quadrangular plan
with central well.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys and basement;
SW front is 3:5 bays. Symmetrical 5-bay section has projecting 3-window centre,
rusticated ground-floor and cornices between floors, with a raised, pedimented
centre dated 1899; 4 round-arched ground-floor windows, tripartite first-floor
windows with the Chatham City arms, and round-arched second-floor windows with
foliate aprons. 3-bay left-hand section divided by giant attached columns to
upper floors with figures on top and blocked pilasters beneath, blocked round
arches to ground floor are entrances and to first floor open with balustrades.
To the left, a 3-stage square tower with a curved balcony and clock to each
side, with an open bell turret with projecting corners with paired columns, and
an octagonal, domed cupola. NW elevation is 4 bays with a central first- and
second-storey canted bay, and round-arched ground-floor windows. SE elevation to
former Council chamber has 8 bays divided by pilasters, paired round-arched
ground-floor windows and large depressed 3-centre arched upper windows with
mullions and transoms and carved aprons, the right-hand gable return in 3
sections with a large 3-centre arched upper window in a raised central section,
with pedimented parapet. N corner a 2-storey range including a chamfered corner
with a large 5-light oriel on a moulded corbelled base. Balustrade extends all
round.
INTERIOR: richly detailed, includes
a large entrance hall with curved stair with decorative rail and newel,
first-floor enriched former Council Chamber to rear has a cast-iron balcony,
wainscotting and panelling, large former meeting hall with proscenium arch and 6
roof trusses, Mayor's Parlour with original sanitary fittings and ceramic tiles,
and half-glazed doors with enriched surrounds."