of Gloucester visited the town hall as part of celebrations for the 1,100th anniversary of the town. Description Exterior The exterior of the building is rendered and the roof is of slate. The building is in two storeys in the style of an Italianate villa, with a belvedere rising to four storeys. The authors of the Buildings of England series suggest it has similarities with Osborne House. The building has three bays on each front. The entrance front has a Tuscan portico with an open balustrade above it. The bay between the portico and the tower has a triple round-headed window with another balustrade above it. All corners have rusticated quoins. The upper level of the tower has triple openings which are flanked by pilasters on all faces. The ground floor windows are double casements and those above are sash windows. Interior The ground floor includes the mayor's parlour, a members' room and committee rooms. On the upper floor are reception rooms and a kitchen. A more modern council chamber has been added to the rear. The entrance hall has a mosaic floor, probably by Minton, in the centre of which is the figure of a young girl's head, possibly the daughter of Thomas Johnson. The mayor's parlour has an unusual feature, a window above the fireplace. This is concealed by a mirror which can be slid sideways. The chimney for the fireplace is built into the wall to the right of the window. The staircase is geometrical with cast iron balusters, over which is a large window glazed in a Venetian style. The stained glass in this window depicts Runcorn's coat of arms. On the walls overlooking the staircase are two large paintings by Andrea Casali depicting the Continence of Scipio and Sophonisba taking Poison. These paintings were commissioned in about 1743 by Richard Child, 1st Earl Tylney for Wanstead House. The frames were designed by William Kent. In 1822 the paintings were sold, and by 1825 they were hanging in the entrance hall of Eaton Hall. It is likely that they were purchased by Thomas Johnson around the time that the house was built. Elsewhere in the building are other paintings, many of which show Runcorn in former times. External features Most of the area occupied by the gardens laid out by Edward Kemp forms a public park. The adjacent office block was reclad and refurbished in 2007.