G F Tomlinson has completed the refurbishment of Chesterfield’s Grade II-listed Stephenson Memorial Hall and handed the building back to Chesterfield Borough Council.
The Midlands contractor began work on the Corporation Street theatre and museum in December 2023. The venue will reopen later this year as 1435.
The multi-million-pound project included structural, mechanical, and electrical works, alongside improvements to the building’s fabric and accessibility. G F Tomlinson delivered a new internal layout, rewiring, a heating and ventilation system, roof improvements, and three new lifts serving every floor, including backstage.
The completed venue has a 625-seat theatre, an expanded museum with improved facilities for touring exhibitions, two bars, and flexible spaces for meetings, events, and community activities. A Changing Places toilet has been installed on the lower ground floor.
Changes to the auditorium include a redesigned and rebuilt circle, new access points and entrances, a new control room, and improvements to the floor, which has an integrated ventilation system.
The project also includes a new Link Gallery on the Corporation Street side, for events, school visits, and community activities, and an extension on Station Back Lane housing dressing rooms and back-of-house facilities.
Because of the building’s listed status, the works required a sensitive approach. Existing roof tiles were removed and retained for reuse alongside matching new tiles, while external brickwork was cleaned and repointed in places.
The scheme is part of the council’s wider plans to regenerate Chesterfield town centre. The 1435 name refers to the standard gauge railway track, set 1,435mm apart, which was developed by George Stephenson.
The council, which owns and manages the building, contributed to the funding. Other funding came from: £11m from the council’s £20m Levelling Up Fund grant; £1m from the East Midlands Combined County Authority’s capital grants programme; and more than £600,000 from Arts Council England.
Andy Sewards, chairman of G F Tomlinson, said: “We are proud to have played a key role in the transformation of Stephenson Memorial Hall into 1435, helping to bring new life to one of Chesterfield’s most important historic buildings. This has been a complex and rewarding project, carefully balancing the preservation of the building’s heritage with the delivery of modern, high-quality facilities that will serve the community for generations to come.
“Working closely with Chesterfield Borough Council and the wider project team, we are delighted to see the completed venue ready to support arts, culture and community activity in the town centre. 1435 is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through strong partnership and a commitment to creating a vibrant, accessible and future-ready destination for Chesterfield.”
Councillor Tricia Gilby, leader of Chesterfield Borough Council, said: “We cannot wait to welcome residents and visitors into 1435 later this year. The completion of building works is a major step towards reopening and allows us to start preparing the venue ready for visitors to experience it later this year.
“The transformation of this building will help ensure that future generations can experience heritage and culture in an incredible setting, but we’ve worked closely with G F Tomlinson, Bauman Lyons architects and our wider project team to ensure that there will still be lots of features that our regular visitors know and love.”
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