Canterbury Guildhall, formerly the Church of the Holy Cross, is a municipal building in St Peter's Place in Canterbury, Kent, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Canterbury City Council, is a Grade II* listed building.[1]
The original guildhall at the corner of High Street and Guildhall Street
The original guildhall in Canterbury was located at the corner of High Street and Guildhall Street and was completed in 1180.[2] The building, which was rebuilt in 1437, 1688 and 1697, was used as a venue for magistrates court hearings and hosted a concert at which the young composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, performed one of his pieces in 1765.[2]
The building was primarily used as a venue for civic events after council officers and their departments moved to the Municipal Buildings in Marlowe Avenue.[5][6] The remodelling carried out in the 19th century involved poor construction which led to the flint walls being declared unstable. Despite considerable controversy at the time, with the exception of the undercroft which still survives, the guildhall was demolished in 1950.[2][7]
Meanwhile, the Church of the Holy Cross near the Westgate, had been commissioned by ArchbishopSimon Sudbury and completed before his death in 1381.[8][9] The design of the church, which originally formed part of the St Gregory's Priory, involved a nave, a chancel and two aisles, and there was a square tower facing northwest towards the River Stour.[10]
After the church was declared redundant and de-consecrated in 1972, it was acquired by the city council and converted for municipal use: it was officially re-opened by the Prince of Wales as the new Guildhall and meeting place of the city council on 9 November 1978.[11] In May 2021, the city council announced aspirations to secure funding for a scheme which would link the guildhall with other heritage assets in the immediate area such as Westgate and would also involve the council chamber becoming a visitor attraction.[12]
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