Gatehouse of Fleet Town Hall

Last updated

Gatehouse of Fleet Town Hall
Gatehouse of Fleet, Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 2113937.jpg
Gatehouse of Fleet Town Hall
LocationHigh Street, Gatehouse of Fleet
Coordinates 54°52′56″N4°11′00″W / 54.8822°N 4.1834°W / 54.8822; -4.1834
Built1885
ArchitectJames Robart Pearson
Architectural style(s) Renaissance style
Dumfries and Galloway UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Dumfries and Galloway

Gatehouse of Fleet Town Hall is a former municipal building in the High Street in Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The structure, which is now in private residential ownership, provides access to a fine ornamental garden behind the town hall.

History

The ornamental garden behind the town hall Rear of Town Hall, Gatehouse of Fleet - geograph.org.uk - 972954.jpg
The ornamental garden behind the town hall

Although Gatehouse of Fleet became a police burgh in 1852, [1] it was not until the early 1880s that proposals for a town hall emerged and, even then, the initiative was led by the artists, John and Thomas Faed who lived at Barlay Mill. [2] The site that the burgh council selected, on the southeast side of the High Street, was occupied by a public house, The Commercial Inn. [3] The provost, James Cox, oversaw the project during the delivery stage. [4]

The new building was designed by James Robart Pearson of Edinburgh in the Renaissance style, built in red sandstone and was officially opened by Thomas Faed on 11 August 1885. [5] As part of the celebrations, a painting, View of Gatehouse of Fleet, by John Faed was unveiled by his sister, Susan, and his wife, Jane. [6]

The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto the High Street; the central bay, which slightly projected forward, featured a doorway on the ground floor, two sash window on the first floor and a stepped gable with a finial above. The outer bays were fenestrated by sash windows on both floors. Internally, the principal room was the main assembly hall on the first floor which contained an arched recess in which to display the painting. [4]

A cinema showing silent films operated in the town hall in the first half of the 20th century. [7] By 1973 it was found that the rear of the building was unsafe and the burgh council decided to close the hall to the public, demolish it and engage the local architect Antony Curtiss Wolffe to draw up plans for a remodelling. [8]

The town hall continued to serve as the meeting place of the burgh council but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged Stewartry District Council was formed in 1975. [9] [10] Alterations to a design by Antony Curtis Wolffe were completed in the 1970s and a major reconstruction of the building, to a design by the district architect's department at Stewartry District Council, was completed in time for the bicentenary of the town in 1995. The reconstruction involved a new pend being driven through the building to allow access to the fine ornamental garden behind the town hall. [11] [12] The entrance to the pend was flanked by a pair of Doric order columns supporting an arch of voussoirs, inscribed with the words "Town Hall", and a round headed hood mould. [5] The building was transferred to private residential ownership, [13] and the painting by John Faed was relocated to the local schoolhouse and subsequently to the Mill on the Fleet visitor and exhibition centre. [14] [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dumfries and Galloway</span> Council area of Scotland

Dumfries and Galloway is one of the 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, located in the western part of the Southern Uplands. It is bordered by East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, and South Lanarkshire to the north; Scottish Borders to the north-east; the English ceremonial county of Cumbria, the Solway Firth, and the Irish Sea to the south, and the North Channel to the west. The administrative centre and largest settlement is the town of Dumfries. The second largest town is Stranraer, located 76 miles (122 km) to the west of Dumfries on the North Channel coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkcudbright</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Kirkcudbright is a town, parish and a royal burgh from 1455 in Kirkcudbrightshire, of which it is traditionally the county town, within Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkcudbrightshire</span> Historic county in Scotland

Kirkcudbrightshire, or the County of Kirkcudbright or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Kirkcudbrightshire was an administrative county used for local government. Since 1975, the area has formed part of Dumfries and Galloway for local government purposes. Kirkcudbrightshire continues to be used as a registration county for land registration. A lower-tier district called Stewartry covered the majority of the historic county from 1975 to 1996. The area of Stewartry district is still used as a lieutenancy area. Dumfries and Galloway Council also has a Stewartry area committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wigtownshire</span> Historic county in Scotland

Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is one of the historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Wigtownshire was an administrative county used for local government. Since 1975 the area has formed part of Dumfries and Galloway for local government purposes. Wigtownshire continues to be used as a territory for land registration, being a registration county. The historic county is all within the slightly larger Wigtown Area, which is one of the lieutenancy areas of Scotland and was used in local government as the Wigtown District from 1975 to 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annandale and Eskdale</span> Committee area in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

Annandale and Eskdale is a committee area in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. It covers the areas of Annandale and Eskdale, the straths of the River Annan and the River Esk respectively. From 1975 until 1996 it was a local government district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stewartry</span> Scottish lieutenancy area and former local government district

The Stewartry was a local government district from 1975 until 1996 within the Dumfries and Galloway region in south-west Scotland. Under the name The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright the area of the former district is still used as a lieutenancy area. Dumfries and Galloway Council has a Stewartry area committee which approximately covers the same area, subject to some adjustments where ward boundaries no longer follow the pre-1996 district boundary. The Stewartry covers the majority of the historic county of Kirkcudbrightshire, and derives its name from the county's alternative name of the "The Stewartry of Kirkcudbright".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Galloway</span> Human settlement in Scotland

New Galloway is a town in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway. It lies on the west side of the valley of the Water of Ken, 1 mile north of the end of Loch Ken. Before the local government reform of 1975, it was the smallest Royal Burgh in Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Faed</span> Scottish painter (1819–1902)

John Faed, R.S.A. was a Scottish painter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gatehouse of Fleet</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Gatehouse of Fleet is a town, half in the civil parish of Girthon, and half in the parish of Anwoth, divided by the river Fleet, Kirkcudbrightshire, within the council administrative area of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stewartry Museum</span> Local museum in Kirkcudbright, Scotland

The Stewartry Museum is a local museum in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, which covers the history of this part of Galloway.

The Kirkcudbright Artists’ Colony was an artists’ community that existed approximately between 1880 and 1980 in Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway. The town attracted many of the country’s leading artists such as E A Hornel, William Mouncey, William Stewart MacGeorge, Charles Oppenheimer, Jessie M King, E A Taylor and S J Peploe. These artists and craftspeople produced an extensive body of work. Some of them are fictionalised in the 1907 S.R.Crockett novel Little Esson, including the title character who is a fictionalised version of MacGeorge

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Faed</span> Scottish artist

Susan Bell Faed (1827–1909) was a Scottish artist, and the sister of three renowned artists: Thomas Faed, John Faed and James Faed. She was a frequent sitter for all three brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkcudbright Tolbooth</span> Historic municipal building in Scotland

Kirkcudbright Tolbooth is a historic municipal building in Kirkcudbright in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Built between 1627 and 1629 to serve the town as a centre of commercial administration, a meeting place for the council, and a prison, it was used for all these roles until the late eighteenth century when the council moved much of its business to new, larger premises they had constructed across the street; the tolbooth remained in use as a prison until the early nineteenth century, after which it remained in council ownership and was put to a variety of uses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirkcudbright Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Kirkcudbright, Scotland

Kirkcudbright Town Hall, currently operating as Kirkcudbright Galleries, is a municipal building in St Mary's Street, Kirkcudbright, Scotland. The building, which was the headquarters of Kirkcudbright Burgh Council, is a Category B listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midsteeple, Dumfries</span> Municipal building in Dumfries, Scotland

The Midsteeple is a municipal building in the High Street in Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a ticket office and a meeting place, is a Category A listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Galloway Town Hall</span> Historic municipal building in Scotland

The New Galloway Town Hall is a municipal building in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, situated on the town's high street. A tolbooth has existed on the site of the current building since at least 1711; in 1875, it was rebuilt and enlarged. In 1971 it was designated a Category B listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockerbie Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Lockerbie, Scotland

Lockerbie Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The structure, which is used as a venue for the provision of local services, is a Category A listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanquhar Tolbooth</span> Municipal building in Sanquhar, Scotland

Sanquhar Tolbooth is a municipal building in the High Street in Sanquhar, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The structure, which accommodates a local history museum, is a Category A listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalbeattie Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Dalbeattie, Scotland

Dalbeattie Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The structure, which is used as community events venue, is a Category B listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Buildings, Kirkcudbright</span> County building in Kirkcudbright, Scotland

County Buildings is a municipal building in Kirkcudbright, in the Dumfries and Galloway council area in Scotland. It was originally two houses on High Street, which then served as the main offices of Kirkcudbrightshire County Council from 1925 to 1975. A large extension to the rear was added in 1952, accessed from Daar Road. From 1975 until 1996 the building served as the offices of Stewartry District Council. Since 1996, it has been an area office of Dumfries and Galloway Council. It is a Category B listed building. Prior to the 1952 extension the name "County Buildings" was used for a different building, at 85 High Street, which was also the town's sheriff court.

References

  1. ↑ Marquess of Bute, John; Stevenson, J. H.; Lonsdale, H. W. (1903). The arms of the baronial and police burghs of Scotland (PDF). Edinburgh: William Blackwood & Sons. p. 229.
  2. ↑ Sawyers, June Skinner (1999). The Maverick Guide to Scotland. Pelican Publishing. p. 128. ISBN   978-1455608669.
  3. ↑ McCulloch, George (1995). Gatehouse Memories (PDF). Gatehouse of Fleet Community Council Bicentenary Committee. p. 2. ISBN   978-0952532019.
  4. 1 2 Steel, David I. A. (2001). John Faed RSA: The Gatehouse Years (PDF). Kirkcudbright: The Stewartry Museum. p. 15. ISBN   978-0953390724.
  5. 1 2 "Gatehouse of Fleet Town Hall". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  6. ↑ "Susan Bell Faed". Kirkcudbright Galleries. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  7. ↑ "Gatehouse of Fleet Cinemas". Scottish Cinemas. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  8. ↑ Russell, J. E (2003). Gatehouse and District (1st ed.). Dumfries: Dumfries and Galloway Council. pp. 387–388. ISBN   0946280630.
  9. ↑ "Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Gatehouse of Fleet Burgh". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "Gatehouse of Fleet Conservation Area Character Appraisal" (PDF). Dumfries and Galloway Council. 1 February 2020. p. 10.
  12. ↑ "Big hearted gardeners brave the rain". Gatehouse of Fleet. 1 June 2020. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  13. ↑ "Storage Room, 54 High Street, Gatehouse Of Fleet, Castle Douglas, DG7 2HP" (PDF). Dumfries and Galloway Council. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  14. ↑ Historic Environment Scotland. "Gatehouse of Fleet, 54 High Street, Town Hall (211144)". Canmore . Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  15. ↑ "View of Gatehouse of Fleet | Art UK". artuk.org. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
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.