Social Venue
The Mansion House was incredibly successful as a social venue and was soon regularly used for winter assemblies and for the Leger Week in September. Before it had opened in 1749 the mayoral allowance for entertaining was £150, but by 1810 it had almost doubled in real terms to £630. This allowance provided for an October feast (probably following mayoral elections), balls, and suppers to mark royal birthdays and military victories, two dinners for the assize judges and a ‘green goose feast’ at Michaelmas on 29th September.
In 1806, in anticipation of a visit by the Prince Regent, the Mansion House underwent an extensive refurbishment with the addition of a new dining room under the direction of the architect William Lindley. Previously Lindley had altered the façade by replacing the giant pediment with a ‘Palladian’ attic and the stone balustrades with iron balconies in 1801. In 1831 the Mansion House was further altered by William Hurst who enhanced the salon and made other internal improvements. to increase the area available for social events.
Georgian Doncaster was a thriving and prosperous market town, acting as it did as a hub of the national turnpike network. By the early 19th century there were more than 24 coaching routes passing through the town and it was also a major centre for the transportation of goods.
The Mansion House marked the start of an era of civic improvements by the Corporation with bridges, streets, markets, public buildings, the racecourse, and the water and lighting supply all being improved during this period.
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