History:

• As early as the 8th century there was a stone cross surrounded by market stalls, in the areas which the Guildhall now occupies.
• In the 14th century stone pillars were erected and a roof was added to give the traders some protection.
• In the 16th century a room was built on top of the pillars and was called the 'Chamber over the Cross'.
• In 1614 it was recorded that money was taken from 'those who stood under the cross'.
• In 1671 the present building was built over the site by the Feofees and used it as a meeting place.
• It was also used as a court-room for the Quarter Sessions and a Parliamentary election hall.
• In 1707 the sundial was placed on the building.
• In 1747 the clock was placed on the building.
• From circa 1779 until 1839 it housed Mrs Ireland's free school for boys.
• From 1876 to 1932 the Guildhall was used as the Town Hall.
• In 1929 the building was restored and the stonework cleaned up, the surrounding buildings were also demolished as the West side was seen for the first time.
• During the 1939-45 war it was used for gas-mask distribution and was the fire-watching headquarters.
• Until 1963 the Butter Market was held under the Guildhall.
• The rooms in the Guildhall are no longer in use due to health and safety reasons, but the area beneath them is frequently used for events in the town centre and is also a place where the public congregate.

Architecture:

The architect of the building was John Lovin, a master mason of Peterborough, who also repaired the Bishop's Palace and built Thorney Abbey House.

The Guildhall is a typical example of Anglo-Dutch architecture and there is almost an exact copy of the Guildhall in Amsterdam. It rests on an open arcade of Tuscan columns, with the upper storey in local oolitic limestone having cross casement windows and a hipped Collywestern slate roof.

On the façade there are several coats of arms, 1 of the Royal Arms of Charles II, 1 of Bishop Henshaw and another of the Dean, James Duport; there are also 2 from leading families in Peterborough, the Montagu's and the Orme's.

The Royal Coat of Arms are in the form used by the Kings of England during the period 1603-1688 and is surmounted by 'C.R', Carolus Rex, Latin for King Charles. The lions of England and the fleur de lys of France are in the 1st and 4th quarter of the shield; the lion of Scotland and the harp of Ireland are in the 2nd and 3rd quarters respectively.

Below the Royal Arms is Bishop Henshaw's arms; it has the cross keys of the Diocese with his personal arms on the back chevron between 3 mallards.

Dean Duport's arms has the cross swords of the Deanery with his personal arms including a silver crescent, a gold star and a lion rampant.

The Montagu arms consist of 3 red lozenges and a green eagle repeated quarterly, and the Orme arms have a red chevron between 3 scallop shells.

Since the Guildhall was originally constructed there have been many alterations made. The original building was just a 1 storey covered market. The pilasters at each corner were probably additions to support the weight of the upper storey. The upper storey has been reworked, especially on the west side.

Prior to 1901 there was a small house adjoining the south-west side and then it was re-worked. It became the official town clerks office and was built entirely on the west side to join the Guildhall to St Johns Church.

The windows on the 1st floor are bigger now than they originally were. There was also a fireplace in the south-east corner with a chimneystack that was taken down in 1860. The ceiling has also been raised and the floor replaced.

Social History :

Religious guilds were known to exist in Peterborough in the 15th century and were the owners of the original Guildhall. In 1572, after Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries, a group of leading citizens took charge of the old Peterborough Guild property, including the Guildhall. These were known as the Feofees.

The current building was built 13 years after the death of Cromwell to celebrate the restoration of Charles II to the throne. A public appeal was initiated by Lord Exeter and supported by Lord Fitzwilliam who contributed £20.00 towards the fund and the coat of arms on the east gable. The cost of the building was approximately £820 but the appeal didn't reach the required amount so the Town Council issued special halfpence coinage to help to pay the final bills.

The Butter Cross was where women used to come to sell cheese and butter and it was conducted in the same place, under the Guildhall, for almost 400 years. In 1623 the annual rent for a pitch in the Butter Cross was 7 shillings and was paid to the Feofees.

This ownership situation continued until the Incorporation of the City in the 19th century, when the new City Council acquired the ownership of the Guildhall.