Swindon Town Hall
Encyclopedia
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
was built in the late 19th century to be a centrepiece of New Swindon, powers transferred to it from the Old Town Hall in 1891.
The Whole building is currently used by SWINDON DANCE a National Dance Agency. But parts of the lower floor, previously occupied by Swindon Reference Library, remain vacant.
First town hall
Until the erection of the Corn ExchangeCorn exchange
A corn exchange or grain exchange was a building where farmers and merchants traded cereal grains. Such trade was common in towns and cities across Great Britain and Ireland until the 19th century, but as the trade became centralised in the 20th century many such buildings were used for other...
and Town Hall in Old Swindon, the Goddard Arms was used. This small pub
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
was up until 1820 a small cottage alehouse named the Crown and had been owned by the Goddards
Goddard family
The Goddard family were a prominent landed family chiefly living in the northern region of the English counties of Wiltshire and Hampshire and the western part of Berkshire, between the Tudor period and the late modern era....
since 1621.
In 1750 a large assembly room was built adjoining the pub and it was thereafter used for balls
Ball (dance)
A ball is a formal dance. The word 'ball' is derived from the Latin word "ballare", meaning 'to dance'; the term also derived into "bailar", which is the Spanish and Portuguese word for dance . In Catalan it is the same word, 'ball', for the dance event.Attendees wear evening attire, which is...
, concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s, the Court Leet
Court leet
The court leet was a historical court baron of England and Wales and Ireland that exercised the "view of frankpledge" and its attendant police jurisdiction, which was normally restricted to the hundred courts.-History:...
, the Magistrates' Court
Magistrates' Court
A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and many other common law jurisdictions...
, County Court
County Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
, auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
house and even as a booking office for the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...
before the eventual construction of Swindon railway station
Swindon railway station
Swindon railway station is in the town of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The station entrance is on Station Road, to the south of the line.It is approximately from the central bus station and the town centre...
.
When the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
wanted to call people together to discuss matters of importance, he did so at the Goddard Arms. It was used in this fashion in the early 19th century by Ambrose Goddard to call meetings on the progress of the Wilts and Berks Canal
Wilts and Berks Canal
The Wilts & Berks Canal is a canal in the historic counties of Wiltshire and Berkshire, England, linking the Kennet and Avon Canal at Semington, near Melksham, to the River Thames at Abingdon. The North Wilts Canal merged with it to become a branch to the Thames and Severn Canal at Latton near...
.
Old Town Hall
In 1848, it was decided to build a Market Hall in Old Swindon. This plan was not carried out until 1852 when the Swindon Market Company was formed to oversee construction.The new market house was designed to also provide accommodation for the County Court, Petty sessions and other public business.
Designed by a local architect named Sampson Sage and built by George Major of Horsefair (now Devizes Road), the final building was in effect a sack office and store room with offices above. A Wine Store was built adjoining this its upper hall was leased to the County Court and used by the Swindon Bench of Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
s from 1871-1891.
The public room could accommodate 600 people and was eventually used for public meetings, balls, lectures and readings. It also became Swindon's de facto polling station
Polling station
A polling place or polling station is where voters cast their ballots in elections.Since elections generally take place over a one- or two-day span on a periodic basis, often annual or longer, polling places are often located in facilities used for other purposes, such as schools, churches, sports...
and election house.
In 1865, Ambrose Goddard provided more land next to this building for the erection of a Corn Exchange abutting the Town Hall. Opened on April 9, 1866, the building included an 80 ft tower and a triangular market hall covered by a glass dome. The opening ceremony began at the Goddard Arms and proceeding behind a brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
, from New Swindon, walked to the exchange for an official dinner and ball.
The large hall in the Corn Exchange was turned into a theatre by 1880 with seating for 1,000 people. Prior to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the hall was converted into an ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
before being turned into a cinema in 1919, named the Rink Cinema. It was refurbished in 1949 and became a dance hall called the Locarno Dance Hall, later hosting wrestling events and pop concerts. It is currently a Bingo Hall.
With the construction of the New Swindon Town Hall in 1890, all civic functions passed down the hill in 1891.
New Town Hall
By 1890, the New Swindon Local BoardLocal board of health
Local Boards or Local Boards of Health were local authorities in urban areas of England and Wales from 1848 to 1894. They were formed in response to cholera epidemics and were given powers to control sewers, clean the streets, regulate slaughterhouses and ensure the proper supply of water to their...
had plans to build their new public offices in York Place. This location, halfway between the Railway Village and the Hill, was thought by some to be "both psychologically and strategically an excellent position for the new town to establish a landmark building". Especially as it was clearly visible from the Old town.
Brightwen Binyon of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
was chosen to design the new building, eventually deciding on the edifice as it stands today. It includes a 90 ft high clock tower
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
and is built in the style of neo-17th-century Dutch architecture. It became a show-piece of New Swindon, being constructed mainly of brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
with stone dressings
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
, a balcony
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
, gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
s, finial
Finial
The finial is an architectural device, typically carved in stone and employed decoratively to emphasize the apex of a gable or any of various distinctive ornaments at the top, end, or corner of a building or structure. Smaller finials can be used as a decorative ornament on the ends of curtain rods...
s and cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
s. The inside includes a spacious hall with pillars and arches and an elegant sweeping staircase rising to a suite of offices.
These offices were initially occupied by the Board's senior officials and those of the County Court
County Court
A county court is a court based in or with a jurisdiction covering one or more counties, which are administrative divisions within a country, not to be confused with the medieval system of county courts held by the High Sheriff of each county.-England and Wales:County Court matters can be lodged...
when in 1891 it became the main Swindon Town Hall, taking over many court functions from the Old Town Hall.
From 1880-1900 the prospect of a single Swindon was a burning issue in the individual towns. Commentators of the time such as the Swindon Advertiser
Swindon Advertiser
The Swindon Advertiser is a daily tabloid newspaper, published in Swindon. The newspaper was founded in 1854, and had a circulation in 2006 of 22,321....
's editor William Morris were heavily in favour. However both councils were suspicious of the other's motives and wary of their future status in a combined Swindon.
The New Swindon Urban District
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
Council was the more powerful of the two at this time, containing within it all of Swindon's industrial companies and the majority of the population.
The two towns remained separate until 1901 when they combined and Swindon Borough Council became the last to be incorporated during Queen Victoria's reign.
Until 2006, the ground floor of the town hall housed Swindon Reference Library
Reference library
A reference library does not lend books and other items; instead, they must be read at the library itself. Typically such libraries are used for research purposes, for example at a university. See List of closed stack libraries...
whilst the remainder of the building was used as dance studio
Dance studio
A dance studio is a space in which dancers learn or rehearse. The term is typically used to describe a space that has either been built or equipped for the purpose....
s. The Reference Library, along with the Central Library, moved to temporary accommodation at Paramount, the former Nationwide HQ, to facilitate the demolition of the old lending library and the construction of the long awaited replacement. The new library complex at Regent Circus opened at 2pm on Monday 20 October 2008.