This Vision Project has now been completed. For more information on the Guildhall and the services it provides, please click through to the Guildhall website. Please see below for historical information on the improvement project.

Please click one of the links below to read the specific parts of the project

Background
Vision Objective
Proposals
Rationale
History

Background:

The eighteenth century Guildhall is an important historic building located in the centre of Salisbury within the Market Place. Part of the building, comprising the ‘Oak Court’ and ‘Grand Jury Room’ forms the city’s magistrate’s court service. This will be relocated to a new purpose built building on the Wilton Road in the autumn of 2009. The Guildhall is also used for weddings, wedding receptions, small conferences and other events. The Guildhall is seen as ‘belonging’ to the city and it is important that alternative and appropriate uses are identified for when the courts service vacate the building. The Guildhall is a Grade II* listed building and is located within a designated Conservation Area

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Vision Objective:

Establish the Guildhall as the civic base of the new Salisbury City Council and as a focus for other complementary uses.

Proposals:

  • Following the departure of the Magistrates Courts to their new location, convert the Guildhall into the civic base for the new Salisbury City Council
  • Any proposals should have due regard to the Listed status, architectural integrity and historic context of the building
  • Investigate and develop other appropriate and complementary uses such as a venue for conferences and meetings
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Rationale:

  • To ensure that the new city council has an accessible city centre office
  • To enhance Salisbury city centre by the appropriate re-use of one of the city’s most significant Listed Buildings, following the vacation of the building by the Courts Service
  • To safeguard the future of this Grade II∗ Listed Building
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Activity:

An application for listed building consent was made on the 15th February 2010. The application involves the conversion of the upper floor of the Cell Block, the Major’s Parlour and Juvenile Court into office accommodation for Salisbury City Council; improvements to the entrance, stair lift, wc, access arrangements and meeting facilities for the disabled and general public; the relocation and refurbishment of the male and female wcs; and the installation of additional display cabinets to the main entrance hall to house the City of Salisbury’s silver.

Planning permission was given on 5 May 2010. Works took place at the end of 2010 and were completed in spring 2011.

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Historical information

The Guildhall of today is the fourth such building to occupy this position within the City of Salisbury.

The first Guildhall dates back to Tudor times, when it was known as ‘The Bishop’s Guildhall’. Then, the building was under the control of the Bishop, from where he exercised his feudal rights of criminal and civil justice.

The ‘Merchants Guild’, which helped to represent early local self-government, was instead housed in ‘The Semplehouse’ which was situated near St. Thomas’ Church. However, in 1585 they built themselves a new headquarters called ‘The Council House’ to the north of ‘The Bishop’s Guildhall’ near to where the present War Memorial stands.

In 1780, ‘The Council House’ was burnt down after a banquet. The second Earl of Radnor, the City Recorder, then made the generous offer of providing a new building at his own expense. At the same time, the opportunity was taken to clear up the situation regarding ‘The Bishop’s Guildhall’. This building had fallen into a ruinous condition, with the Bishop unable to afford its upkeep. In 1795, an Act of Parliament was passed, providing for the surrender of the Bishop’s rights to the Guildhall, on condition of there being provided a new Council House/Guildhall.

The new ‘Guildhall’ was built practically on the site of the old one. Alterations were made to the building in 1829, which led to the addition of the Grand Jury Room, extensions to the size of the courts and new accommodation for the judges. After that date, other alterations have been made, including extensive internal alterations. Since the Municipal Corporation Act, 1835, the whole building has been under the control of the then City Council, latterly Salisbury District Council and from June 2009 the new Salisbury City Council.

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