Croydon Town Hall

Last updated

Croydon Town Hall
CroydonTownHall.jpg
Croydon Town Hall
LocationKatharine Street, Croydon
Coordinates 51°22′20″N0°05′56″W / 51.37223°N 0.09896°W / 51.37223; -0.09896 Coordinates: 51°22′20″N0°05′56″W / 51.37223°N 0.09896°W / 51.37223; -0.09896
Built1896
ArchitectCharles Henman
Architectural style(s) Victorian style
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated19 November 1973
Reference no.1188798
Croydon London UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Croydon

Croydon Town Hall is a council building in Katharine Street, Croydon which serves as the headquarters for Croydon London Borough Council. It is a Grade II listed building. [1]

Contents

History

Croydon's first town hall, which was located on the west side of the High Street, was initially intended as a market house and was completed in 1566: it was subsequently used as a town hall until it was demolished in 1807. [2] The second town hall, which was built on the site of the first town hall, was designed by Samuel Pepys Cockerell in the classical style and completed in 1808; [3] it was demolished as part of the town's High Street widening scheme in 1893. [4]

After civic leaders found that the town hall in the High Street was inadequate for their needs, they elected to construct a purpose-built town hall: they chose the site of Central Croydon railway station, which was redeveloped for council use in 1895, as part of a plan to install "Municipal Offices, Courts, a Police Station, Library and many other public purposes and yet leave a considerable margin of land which might be disposed of". [5] The building, which was designed by Charles Henman [6] in the Victorian style and built in red brick by Messrs. W.H. Lascelles & Co, was officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 19 May 1896. [5]

The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with nine bays facing onto Katherine Street; the central section featured an arched porch on the ground floor; there was a large segmented window on the first floor and five narrow round headed windows on the second floor with the borough coat of arms above. [1] A square clocktower, 176 feet (54 m) tall, was erected adjacent to the west of the main building. [1] The clock and bells were made by the Croydon firm of Gillett & Johnston. [7] Above each clockface was a keystone carved in the form of a human head, representing respectively the four cardinal points of the compass: an "Esquimaux" (north), a "Hottentot" (south), a "Chinaman" (east) and an "American Indian" (west). [7] To the west of the clocktower was Braithwaite Hall, with pitched roof and turret, and the corn exchange, with loggia. [1] Braithwaite Hall was named after the Revd John Masterman Braithwaite (1846–1889), a former vicar of Croydon. [8] [lower-alpha 1] Internally, the principal rooms were the council chamber, the mayor's parlour and the committee rooms. [5]

A statue of Queen Victoria, which was sculpted by Francis John Williamson, was erected outside the town hall in 1903. [10] A war memorial, designed by James Burford and incorporating two bronze sculptures by Paul Raphael Montford, was erected in 1921. [11]

The building served as the headquarters of the County Borough of Croydon for much of the 20th century and went to become the local seat of government of the enlarged London Borough of Croydon on its formation in 1965. [12] Council officers and their departments moved out to Taberner House, located to the south east of the town hall, in 1967. [13] The building continued to be used as a judicial facility until the combined courts centre in Barclay Road opened in 1968. [14] [15]

The whole building, including the council chamber, the mayor's parlour and committee rooms, was extensively renovated in the late-1980s and early 1990s. This enabled parts of the building which were not required for council meetings to be re-purposed as an arts venue known as the Croydon Clocktower in 1994. [16] At the same time a new public library was established in a new structure behind the town hall and the old local studies library was converted for use as the new David Lean Cinema. [5] Meanwhile, Braithwaite Hall continued to be made available for concerts, theatre and children's shows. [17]

After Taberner House became inefficient to operate, council officers and their departments moved to Bernard Weatherill House, located to the south of the town hall, in May 2013. [18]

Notes

  1. ↑ John Braithwaite was the father of the actress, Lilian Braithwaite. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Croydon</span> Borough in United Kingdom

The London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in south London, part of Outer London. It covers an area of 87 km2 (33.6 sq mi). It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name; while other urban centres include Coulsdon, Purley, South Norwood, Norbury, New Addington and Thornton Heath. Croydon is mentioned in Domesday Book, and from a small market town has expanded into one of the most populous areas on the fringe of London. The borough is now one of London's leading business, financial and cultural centres, and its influence in entertainment and the arts contribute to its status as a major metropolitan centre. Its population is 390,719, making it the largest London borough and sixteenth largest English district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon</span> Town in South London, England

Croydon is a large town in South London, England, 9.4 miles (15.1 km) south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London, it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensive shopping district and night-time economy. The entire town had a population of 192,064 as of 2011, whilst the wider borough had a population of 384,837.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon Clocktower</span> Building in London, England

Croydon Clocktower is an arts and museum complex located on Katharine Street in Croydon, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Gardens, Croydon</span>

The Queen's Gardens is a public garden in the centre of Croydon, South London. The gardens are bordered by Croydon Town Hall, Bernard Weatherill House, the site of the former Taberner House, Park Lane and Katharine Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taberner House</span> Building in Croydon, London

Taberner House housed many of the offices of Croydon London Borough Council until September 2013; the building was demolished in 2015. It was located in Croydon, London, close to the Croydon Town Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nestlé Tower</span>

St George's House is a 79-metre (259 ft) office tower located in Croydon, United Kingdom. It was occupied by the Swiss multinational food and consumer goods company Nestlé as the headquarters of Nestlé UK & Ireland until September 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Architecture of the London Borough of Croydon</span>

The London Borough of Croydon has a wide variety of buildings mainly from post-war through to modern. Much of the modern architecture in the borough is centred on the commercial centre of the town, with much of the Victorian designs spread out on both the northern and southern corridors of the borough. Many former warehouses and factories have been converted for other uses changing the external appearance of Croydon erratically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islington Town Hall</span> Municipal building in London, England

Islington Town Hall is a municipal facility in Upper Street, Islington, London. The town hall, which is the headquarters for Islington London Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woolwich Town Hall</span> Municipal building in London, England

Woolwich Town Hall is an early 20th-century town hall located in the historic Bathway Quarter in the centre of Woolwich, South East London. Until 1965 it was the seat of local government of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich, after which it became the headquarters of the Greenwich London Borough Council. It is a rare example of an Edwardian Baroque town hall in London and is a Grade II*-listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Croydon Cenotaph</span>

Croydon Cenotaph is a war memorial, in Croydon, London, England. It is located outside the Croydon Clocktower arts complex, on Katharine Street in Croydon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Richmond</span> Municipal building in London, England

The Old Town Hall, Richmond on Whittaker Avenue in Richmond, London is a former municipal building which from 1893 to 1965 served as the town hall for the Municipal Borough of Richmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Weatherill House</span> Office building in Croydon, London

Bernard Weatherill House is a municipal facility in Croydon, London. The building, which is located just south of Croydon Town Hall, provides accommodation for many of the offices of Croydon London Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackney Town Hall</span> Municipal building in London, England

Hackney Town Hall is a municipal building in Hackney, London. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Hackney London Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haringey Civic Centre</span> Municipal building in London, England

Haringey Civic Centre is a municipal building in High Road, Wood Green, London. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Haringey London Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redbridge Town Hall</span> Municipal building in London, England

Redbridge Town Hall is a municipal building in High Road, Ilford, London. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Redbridge London Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyton Town Hall</span> Municipal building in London, England

Leyton Town Hall is a municipal building in Adelaide Road, Leyton, London. The building, which includes Leyton Great Hall, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scarborough Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England

Scarborough Town Hall, originally St Nicholas House, is a red brick Jacobean Revival mansion in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England, currently used as a municipal building for the Borough of Scarborough and an events venue. It was built in the 19th century as a home for John Woodall, a prominent local businessman, and then converted and extended for municipal use in 1903. Situated overlooking the South Bay, it is a grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyde Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Hyde, Greater Manchester, England

Hyde Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Street, Hyde, Greater Manchester, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Hyde Borough Council, is a grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worthing Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Worthing, West Sussex, England

Worthing Town Hall, or New Town Hall, is a municipal building in Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex, England. The town hall, which is a meeting place of Worthing Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building. Located at Chapel Road in the centre of Worthing, it was opened in 1933 and built in a neo-Georgian style to designs by Charles Cowles-Voysey. Containing offices and a Council chamber it replaced Worthing's Old Town Hall as the administrative centre, a building that had been the home of Worthing's local authority from 1835 and was demolished in 1966. To the rear and west lies the Assembly Hall, built in 1935, also to designs by Cowles-Voysey. To the south lies the Worthing Museum and Art Gallery, originally built as a Carnegie Library.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Historic England. "Municipal Buildings, comprising the clock tower, public library, and Corn Exchange, and including the area balustrade which incorporates a war memorial and a statue of Queen Victoria (1188798)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  2. ↑ Brayley, Edward Wedlake; Britton, John (17 September 2017). "A topographical history of Surrey, by E.W. Brayley assisted by J. Britton and E.W. Brayley, jun. The geological section by G. Mantell" – via Google Books.
  3. ↑ Anderson, John Corbet (17 September 1882). A Short Chronicle Concerning the Parish of Croydon in the County of Surrey. Ballantyne, Hanson and Company. p. 201 – via Internet Archive. croydon town hall.
  4. ↑ "London's Town Halls". Historic England. p. 42. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Town Hall". 8 April 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  6. ↑ Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (1983). London 2: South. Buildings of England series. Penguin Books. p. 214. ISBN   0-14-071047-7.
  7. 1 2 Anon. 1896, pp. 12–13.
  8. ↑ "Braithwaite Hall, Croydon Clocktower, London". The Independent. 23 January 1996. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  9. ↑ Morgan, Diana; Reynolds, K. D. (revised) (2004). "Braithwaite [married name Lawrence], Dame (Florence) Lilian (1873–1948)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/32036.(Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  10. ↑ "Statue: Queen Victoria statue – Croydon". London Remembers. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  11. ↑ Historic England. "Croydon War Memorial (Grade II*) (1268438)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  12. ↑ "Local Government Act 1963". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  13. ↑ "Taberner House, London". Skyscraper News. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  14. ↑ Mulcahy, Linda; Rowden, Emma (2019). The Democratic Courthouse: A Modern History of Design, Due Process and Dignity. Taylor and Francis. ISBN   978-0429558689.
  15. ↑ "Law Courts and Courtrooms 2: Civil and Coroner's Courts". Historic England. 1 August 2016. p. 10. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  16. ↑ "David Lean Cinema returns to Croydon Clocktower Auditorium". East London Lines. Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  17. ↑ "Concert: Ida's march". News Shopper. 11 September 2002. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  18. ↑ "Bernard Weatherill House". Open House London. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2020.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.