Town Hall

Cadw's description

Location

On the W side of the Bulkeley Hotel, and at the junction with Wall Street.

History

Completed c1785 and shown on the 1829 town plan. In 1833 the lower storey was said to comprise the public office, shambles and market house, while the principal room in the upper storey was described as 'the most splendid ballroom in North Wales'. In 1975 shop fronts were created in the lower storey by Colwyn Foulkes & Partners, architects of Colwyn Bay.

Exterior

A 2-storey 5-bay town hall and former market, of which the lower storey is coursed rubble, the upper storey roughcast over a painted freestone sill band. The slate roof is on dentilled eaves. The lower storey has 5 round arches with dressed voussoirs and freestone impost band. The R-hand arch is a through passage to Wall Street. The middle 3 arches are infilled with C20 shop fronts, which have half-glazed doors, small-pane shop windows over rock-faced 'stallrisers', and broad radial-glazed overlights. The L-hand arch has iron gates and recessed entrance to the upper storey. The upper-storey windows have rusticated architraves with triple keystones, to 24-pane hornless sash windows. Below the L-hand window is a bronze plaque of 1816. The L gable end, of scribed roughcast, has a dentilled cornice to a former pediment, obscured when the Bulkeley Hotel was added in 1829.

A parallel 4-bay rear wing is on the E side of the passage to Wall Street, of scribed roughcast painted white. It has 24-pane hornless sash windows in the upper storey and 1-storey projection below. To its L the arch to Wall Street has an added escape door upper R.

Interior

The entrance is through the L-hand arch, leading to an open-well stairway (the stairwell now infilled by a lift shaft), with square wooden newel, cast iron balusters with Ionic capitals, and boarded wainscot. In the principal first-floor room panelled doors are within shallow but wide and high arched recesses. The door frames have guilloche moulding. The same moulding is used for window surrounds and sill band.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special architectural interest as a well-preserved Georgian town hall retaining original character and detail, and for its contribution to the historical integrity of Castle Street.