Nottingham Council House, Nottingham

The Nottingham Exchange of 1726 was demolished in 1926 for the Nottingham Council House. The designer was architect Thomas Cecil Howitt. The structural style is Neo-Baroque. The dome of the building dominates the city skyline. Inside the bell tower is Little John, the ten-ton deepest toned bell of the United Kingdom.

The Council House is made with Portland Stone. The front terrace overlooking the Square has eight large columns. Above the columns are 21 figures imaging the activities of the Council. The figures were created by sculptor Joseph Else, who also created the two art-deco lions bracketing the main entrance.

The Entrance Hall is in Italian marble. Bronze commemorative plaques line the walls. A grand staircase leads to reception rooms on the floor above. A female sculpture by William Dick welcomes visitors at the head of the staircase. The Ballroom, styled after Versailles, overlooks the Old Market Square. The Lord Mayor's suite shares the space.

The second floor holds the Committee Room and the Sheriff's Parlour. On the third floor is the Tea Room, the Members' Room, and the Council Chamber. Murals under the dome show: Danish capture, 868; William the Conqueror and the Castle in 1068; Robin Hood and his Merry Men; and of course, Charles I in the Civil War of 1642.