THE doors of Braintree's historic Town Hall were flung open to the public on Friday as part of a national heritage celebration.
Visitors were free to explore the Grade II* listed building and learn more about its history.
A DVD of the official opening of the building in 1927 was played, while an exhibition of photographs were on view. And visitors were even able to marvel at the technology of the town's clock by climbing up the tower to see the original mechanism.
"The Town Hall has many fascinating aspects, each room was unique and made out of different wood," said Geoff Fuller, Braintree Town Hall manager.
"The North Committee Room was made out of Australian bean tree wood. No one who visits has ever heard of it before, even carpenters who come here, so God knows where they found it."
The hall, built with a £50,000 donation from William Julien Courtauld, was first used to house the Urban District Council of Braintree and later Bocking.
It is now used to host a range of events such as weddings, trade exhibitions, and conferences.
Robert Rose, manager of Braintree Museum, said: "The Courtauld building is the focal point of Braintree town centre, a superb example of Georgian-style architecture, and has played an important role in the town's civic and community life for over 87 years."
There were free guided tours of the building at 11am and 4pm and visitors also had the opportunity to take part in a quiz.
For more details, visit www.heritageopendays.org.uk or go to Braintree Town Hall's Facebook page www.facebook.com/Braintree-Town-Hall
