A visit to Halifax

The Halifax Civic Society were our guides for a tour of a number of Halifax's historic buildings. We started with the Grade II* listed Square Chapel, built in 1772 and for a short period the largest single span chapel in the country. It was saved from demolition and is now a multi-purpose auditorium. Next door to the Chapel are the remains of the 1857 Square Church, damaged by fire in 1971. We next visited the Piece Hall - Halifax’s impressive cloth hall. Opened in 1775. This was followed by a tour of the Grade II* listed Town Hall, where we viewed the main civic areas, including the Mayor’s Parlour with its fine collection of silver and chains of office. The day concluded with a brief visit to the ‘Streets in the Sky’ above the 1891 Grade ll * listed Borough Market. Access was through a locked staircase near the main entrance which leads up to a terrace of three-storey houses, built for the market traders who occupied the units below.