The Town Hall

Cadw's description

Location

Situated on street line in centre of High Street.

History

1880-1 by R J Withers, architect of London, for J B Harford, (design exhibited Royal Academy 1882). It replaced a simple two-storey building of 1813 by PF Robinson.

Exterior

Town Hall in Queen Anne-derived style. Constructed in grey stone with red brick quoins and some limestone ashlar dressings, with a tall slate hipped roof and timber clock-turret with leaded ogee cap. Two tall storeys; three bays, arched on ground floor and with very large cambered-headed openings on first floor. Ground floor arcade has ashlar plinths and imposts, red brick quoins to piers and moulded ashlar arches with keystones. Red brick quoins continue above impost level at outer angles only, and keystones reach moulded ashlar cornice carried forward as balcony over centre. Balcony is on ashlar brackets and has iron patterned railings. Centre arch is through carriageway, those each side have shopfronts with centre door recessed between windows under big semicircular leaded overall fanlights. Upper floor is divided by piers with red brick quoins under a big coved cornice, moulded stone sill course broken forward over piers and moulded ashlar surrounds to tall cambered windows with keystones. Windows are much subdivided by painted timber mullions and transom to a basic 4-light system divided by a major transom into a top of 8 square leaded lights and a longer lower part with small paned glazing, minor transom and the centre two top lights amalgamated with applied fanlight tracery in a rectangular panel. Centre window has double doors to balcony.

Tall roof has triangular vents on sides and centre cupola with leaded base, timber clock stage with corner posts, scrolled key blocks over clock faces, cornice and then open top bell-stage with corner posts, cornice and square leaded ogee dome. Finial with vane, initialled JBH for J B Harford, who paid for the building.

Through passage has 3 stilted lunette lights each side. Lower rear range, 2-storey with 2 hipped roofs and 6 cambered-headed windows in brick surrounds to first floor. Rear of main roof has big hipped eaves dormer.

Interior

Main hall refitted mid C20 as magistrates court with suspended ceiling.

Reason for designation

Included for its special architectural interest as a public building of good architectural character, prominently sited and designed by a notable architect of the late C19.