Mansion House, Doncaster
Encyclopedia
Mansion House is a Grade I listed building in Doncaster
in South Yorkshire
, England
. It is used for meetings of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, and by the civic mayor of the town for official receptions.
During the 18th century, Doncaster's position on the Great North Road brought wealth to the town. The town's corporation was frequently called on to host entertainments, initially at the mayor's house or the Angel or Three Cranes inns. In 1719, they took a lease on a house in the High Street for holding feasts, but let this lapse around 1727. They bought a site on the High Street in 1738, with the intention of building a permanent base for entertaining, but little construction took place for several years. In 1746, James Paine was appointed as architect in 1746. Although young, Paine had already worked on Nostell Priory
and had designed Heath House, both near Wakefield
.
Mansion Houses had already been constructed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (now demolished), York
and London
. Whereas these other buildings contained both formal reception rooms and living quarters for the mayor
, Doncaster's differed in being designed purely for entertainment, although some later mayors used space in the building as accommodation.
Paine planned a building along the now established designs of Assembly Rooms
. It was completed in 1748 and officially opened in 1749, the construction having cost £8,000. Paine was immediately offered more local work, starting with alterations to Cusworth Hall
. He published his designs for the Mansion House in 1751. This work showed the building flanked by two other structures, marked as houses for the town clerk and recorder, but these were never part of the commission and were not built.
William Lindley
extended the building between 1801 and 1806, adding an attic
storey, a rear banqueting hall and rear landing.
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is used for meetings of Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council, and by the civic mayor of the town for official receptions.
During the 18th century, Doncaster's position on the Great North Road brought wealth to the town. The town's corporation was frequently called on to host entertainments, initially at the mayor's house or the Angel or Three Cranes inns. In 1719, they took a lease on a house in the High Street for holding feasts, but let this lapse around 1727. They bought a site on the High Street in 1738, with the intention of building a permanent base for entertaining, but little construction took place for several years. In 1746, James Paine was appointed as architect in 1746. Although young, Paine had already worked on Nostell Priory
Nostell Priory
Nostell Priory is a Palladian house located in Nostell, near Crofton close to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, approached by the Doncaster road from Wakefield...
and had designed Heath House, both near Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
.
Mansion Houses had already been constructed in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (now demolished), York
Mansion House, York
The Mansion House in York, England is the home of the Lord Mayors of York during their term in office. It is situated on St Helen's Square, where York's Coney Street and Lendal intersect in the city centre. It is built in an early Georgian style. The foundation stone for the Mansion House was laid...
and London
Mansion House, London
Mansion House is the official residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London in London, England. It is used for some of the City of London's official functions, including an annual dinner, hosted by the Lord Mayor, at which the Chancellor of the Exchequer customarily gives a speech – his...
. Whereas these other buildings contained both formal reception rooms and living quarters for the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, Doncaster's differed in being designed purely for entertainment, although some later mayors used space in the building as accommodation.
Paine planned a building along the now established designs of Assembly Rooms
Assembly rooms
In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done at home and there were few public places of entertainment open to both sexes...
. It was completed in 1748 and officially opened in 1749, the construction having cost £8,000. Paine was immediately offered more local work, starting with alterations to Cusworth Hall
Cusworth Hall
Cusworth Hall is an 18th century Grade I listed country house in Cusworth, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire in the north of England. Set in the landscaped parklands of Cusworth Park, Cusworth Hall is a good example of a Georgian country house.- Introduction :...
. He published his designs for the Mansion House in 1751. This work showed the building flanked by two other structures, marked as houses for the town clerk and recorder, but these were never part of the commission and were not built.
William Lindley
William Lindley
William Lindley , was a famous English engineer who together with his sons designed water and sewerage systems for over 30 cities across Europe.-Life:...
extended the building between 1801 and 1806, adding an attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
storey, a rear banqueting hall and rear landing.