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Ashington

Ashington Town Hall

Last Updated:

14 Jan 2025

Ashington

This is a

Town Hall, Civic Building

55.183586, -1.574260

Founded in 

1912

Current status is

Extant

Designer (if known):

Osborne Blyth, Robert Burns Dick, Robert N H MacKellar

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Still operating

Do mind the glare on the photograph, but this is Ashington Town Hall - one example of the great tradition of fine town halls in North East industrial towns.

It first accommodated the Ashington Urban District Council, formed in 1896 in response to the swelling borders of the “biggest pit village in the world”. Coal induced great need for housing, and in turn the infrastructure and bureaucracy to run somewhere like this. For some 17 years, an old drapers’ shop was used.

The council chambers took around two years to build, and finally opened in 1912. The land was obtained by the Duke of Portland (who owned most of this area), and the trust given to Mr Osborne Blyth to design the building. He oversaw the building of many of the houses in Ashington and the surrounding pit villages too. He decided to design it in a neoclassical style, which you’ll see in the 2nd and 3rd shots with the clock tower and lantern previously on its left.

As Ashington continued to expand, so did the chambers. Public health and sanitation opened up a whole new need for further capacity. This all required totally new ones. In the 30s, it was completely rebuilt at a cost of £10,000. A whole new floor was added, ridding it of the old tower, though the new one does feature bells from the famous John Taylor & Co. The chamber was furnished with Austrian oak and featured a striking Ashington coat of arms in the panelling.

This iteration was designed by Dick & MacKellar. Burns Dick is particularly prolific in the North East, designing Pilgrim Street Police & Fire Station, the Laing, the Armstrong Naval Yard, the Tyne Bridge towers, as well as Newcastle’s student union. Burns Dick sculpted Newcastle just as Green & Dobson did prior.

Listing Description (if available)

Both Ordnance Survey maps shown here depict Ashington from the 1910s through to the mid 20th century. Ashington by this stage had already grown to be a behemoth mining village. The long extensive rows, hotels and countless clubs only accentuate the kindling that took place for the half century prior. Our building is directly opposite the station labelled "UDC offices" here, imposing the town's ambition and prosperity to anyone departing the station. Next door also stood the Miners Rescue Station operated by the NCB post-nationalisation.

Winding the clock back to the mid 19th century on this map published in 1865, just to highlight the absolute staggering change experienced here. Ashington Colliery was in existence by this stage, however the site was modest and featured only two rows of housing on what's now the crossroads between Morpeth Road and High market. This side of modern Ashington was all farmland, probably maintained by High Hirst Farm on the site of the Wetherspoons today. The UDC town hall was just next to the bottom right angle curve in the road.

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Ashington Town Hall on a very early winters morning in December 2024

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The first iteration designed by Osborne Blyth from 1912, with the clock tower on the west side of the building. This is likely from the 1910s or 20s. Original source unknown.

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The town hall pre-rebuild with the Miners Rescue Station next door. Original source unknown.

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