Town Hall

Cadw's description

Location

Located at the S side of Bulkeley Square, and set back from the main street in the centre of Llangefni; c.400m SSE of the church of St. Cyngar.

History

Mid C19; built before 1887-8. The building was extensively damaged by fire, November 1992.

Exterior

Tall, 2-storey, civic building in Neo-Gothic style. Faced with rock-faced limestone masonry; modern slate roof with stone copings and decorative terracotta ridge tiles. Entrance block to N with central entrance and 2-bay gabled returns; long, 6-window range to rear. Principal elevation to N a 3-bay Gothic facade; advanced gabled centre bay with main entrance in a deeply recessed, shallow segmental-headed archway. Balcony over entrance with curved brackets and pierced parapet; a 4-light 1st floor plate traceried window with oculi grouped under arched head; flanking finials with detached shafts supporting triangular hoodmould. Arched recess above (for clock face, removed), in gable pediment which has flanking corbelled turrets, and shaped finial at apex. Flanking bays have segmental-headed ground floor windows; first floor transomed and mullioned, 3-light windows with hoodmoulds and continuous sill band (further bands between floors and above 1st floor windows). Set back to the right (W) is a shorter, 2-storey extension with similarly detailed, 2-light, 1st floor window (without hoodmould) and ground floor, square-headed doorway. The left (E) gabled return has 2 first floor, plate-traceried windows of 3 lights and single quatrefoils above, and 3 narrow ventilation slits are set in the gable apex. Ground floor windows along the entire E elevation are similarly detailed to those of the flanking bays of the front; the 1st floor of the rear range has 2-light, transomed and mullioned windows, punctuated by plate traceried 2-light gothic windows in gables breaking the skyline. The rear (S) elevation has similarly detailed 1st floor windows (some single lights); a blocked ground floor doorway and a circular ventilation grille in the gable apex.

Reason for designation

Listed as a striking example of a civic building, prominantly sited in the centre of the town and forming part of a visual group with the adjacent Bull Hotel and Town Clock. The hall is an interesting essay in civic gothic, using form and decorative detail to express a clear hierarchy of function.