05
Oct
Conservation work reveals Ripon Town Hall's green past
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Ripon Town Hall was once painted green, conservation work has revealed.
Contractor Pinnacle Conservation has been undertaking the first phase of Ripon City Council’s plans to regenerate the civic building.
Analysis has discovered the building has more than 25 layers of paint, including green — which was used during the Victorian period.
However, the city council plans to return the frontage, which is currently covered by scaffolding, to one of the colours identified in the building’s original off-white limewashes.
The town hall pictured in October 2026.
The work comes as the city council assumes responsibility for the grade two listed building from North Yorkshire Council.
See our feature on the building before work began here.
Repairs to render, the removal of unsuitable coatings and redecoration with a breathable mineral paint system are being undertaken as part of the scheme.
Contractors are also repainting the railings and conserving the famous decorative frieze and parapet inscription that reads: "EXCEPT YE LORD KEEP YE CITTIE YE WAKEMAN WAKETH IN VAIN”.
Valerio Caputi, head of conservation projects at Pinnacle Conservation, said:
Our paint analysis has identified more than 25 layers of decoration, providing a fascinating record of how the appearance of the building has changed over time. The evidence suggests that the façade was historically finished in lighter stone colours, with a distinctive green scheme likely introduced during the nineteenth century.
The conservation works go well beyond simply repainting the building. We will be carefully removing modern, less breathable coatings in areas affected by historic damp and introducing a compatible mineral paint system to improve breathability and help manage moisture within the historic fabric.
Mayor Andrew Williams (left) inspects damage to the town hall façade.
Ripon mayor, Councillor Andrew Williams, said:
“This is the first phase of a much wider ambition for the town hall. Bringing the building into Ripon City Council’s care gives us the opportunity to shape its future with a focus from and for Ripon, and we are already looking ahead to the next stage of regeneration. We want to open up more of the building and give it a fuller role in the life of the city.”
Phase two will develop longer-term proposals for the town hall, bringing together improved access and opportunities for a broader range of uses.
The council’s emerging vision is for a place where Ripon meets: somewhere for civic occasions, community events, schools, businesses and visitors, with opportunities for young people to help shape its future.
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