Specialist repairs to the sandstone columns at Whitby Old Town Hall have been approved after a structural survey found sections of the historic masonry in “critical condition.” The 18th-century, Grade II-listed building sits in Whitby’s East Cliff area on Church Street.
The work is part of a wider £1.2 million restoration project that plans to turn the landmark into a heritage and community venue within the town’s regeneration programme. North Yorkshire Council commissioned the condition survey, which identified urgent structural intervention for three of the building’s 16 sandstone columns. The remaining columns need conservation work described in planning documents as significant or moderate.
Planning documents also point to inappropriate historic repairs as a factor in the deterioration, including cracking, surface erosion, and delamination of the stone. For mason contractors and restoration teams, that is a clear reminder that “make it work” fixes on natural stone can create long-term damage when repairs do not align with the original material and performance.
The approved scheme, backed by Historic England, calls for replacing only the damaged sections of the affected columns. The replacement stone will be natural sandstone selected to match the original in color, texture, durability, and weathering characteristics. That scope matters on heritage work, because it keeps sound original fabric in place and focuses labor on the areas that drive structural risk.
Renovation work started in 2025. The project is funded through a £17.1 million Towns Fund allocation awarded to Whitby by the government in partnership with North Yorkshire Council. Align Property Partners, the council’s building design consultancy, is leading the project design.
An outdoor market currently operates in the building’s undercroft, but the indoor space has not been used since 2017 because of its condition. Once complete, the restored town hall is set to provide a heritage attraction tied to Whitby’s marketplace history, plus flexible space for community events, cultural activities, and small businesses.
Read the full, original article from Place Yorkshire here.