| The Old Town Hall | |
|---|---|
 The Old Town Hall | |
| Location | Swindon |
| Coordinates | 51°33′04″N1°46′23″W / 51.5512°N 1.7731°W |
| Built | 1854 |
| Architect | Sampson Sage and E Robertson |
| Architectural style(s) | Neoclassical style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Designated | 2 October 1951 |
| Reference no. | 1023523 |
  Shown in Wiltshire | |
The Old Town Hall, also known as The Locarno or Locarno Ballroom, [1] is a former municipal building of 1854 in the High Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, England. It is a Grade II listed building. [2]
Until the construction of the town hall on the High Street, the town council had met in the Goddard Arms on the High Street. [3] This small pub had been owned by the Goddard family since 1621 and was a small cottage alehouse known as the Crown until 1820. [3] The Goddard Arms was used for public meetings in the early 19th century and was used in this way by Ambrose Goddard to report progress on the Wilts & Berks Canal. [3]
The town hall was designed by Sampson Sage and E Robertson in the neoclassical style, built in ashlar stone by a local builder, George Major, [4] and was completed in 1854. [2] [5] The main frontage has five bays separated by full-height Tuscan order pilasters, with arched windows on the ground floor, casement windows on the first floor and a pediment and roof lantern above. [2]
The building was extended to the northeast with a tower, as well as accommodation for a corn exchange at ground floor level, to the designs of Wilson and Willcox of Bath in 1866. [2] A wine store was built on an adjoining site and its upper hall was used as a magistrates' court from 1871 to 1891. [3]
After civic functions transferred to the new town hall in 1891, the building became a roller skating rink in 1910, [6] and a cinema known as the Rink in 1919. After the Second World War it was refurbished and re-opened as the Locarno Dance Hall. [6] Performers at the dance hall included the singer, Cilla Black, in April 1964, [7] followed by the rock bands, The Yardbirds in July 1964, [8] The Who in October 1965 [9] and the Small Faces in November 1965. [10] The building subsequently served as a bingo hall but became vacant in the mid 1980s. [11]
The building was acquired by bar owner, Gael Mackenzie, in 1999. [12] Major fires occurred in the building in May 2003 and again in May 2004. [13] In November 2016, Swindon council entered into a development agreement with Swindon Corn Exchange Limited, a business managed by housebuilder, Steve Rosier, under which Rosier agreed to pursue a development on the site. [14] However, after no progress was made with the development and the building continued to decay, the Victorian Society added the structure to its list of most endangered buildings in September 2019. [15] The council also threatened to use a compulsory purchase order to re-acquire the property in January 2020. [16] [17]
Swindon is a large town in Wiltshire, England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of the built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county. Located in South West England, Swindon lies on the M4 corridor, 71 miles (114km) to the west of London and 36 miles to the east of Bristol. The Cotswolds lie just to the town's north and the North Wessex Downs to its south.
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England; situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, close to the border with Somerset. The town lies 8 miles (13 km) south-east of Bath, 31 miles (50 km) south-west of Swindon and 20 miles (32 km) south-east of Bristol. The parish had a population of 37,169 in 2021.
Chippenham is a market town in north-west Wiltshire, England. It lies 13 miles (21 km) north-east of Bath, 86 miles (138 km) west of London and is near the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The town was established on a crossing of the River Avon, where some form of settlement is believed to have existed since before Roman times. It was a royal vill and probably a royal hunting lodge, under Alfred the Great. The town continued to grow when the Great Western Railway arrived in 1841. It had a population of 36,548 in 2021.
Cricklade is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in north Wiltshire, England, midway between Swindon and Cirencester. It is the first downstream town on the Thames. The parish population at the 2011 census was 4,227.
Highworth is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Swindon, England, about 6 miles (10 km) north-east of Swindon town centre. The 2021 Census recorded a population of 8,258. The town is notable for its Queen Anne and Georgian buildings, dating from its pre-eminence in the 18th century. It also has a 13th-century church, St. Michael and All Angels. The parish includes Sevenhampton village and the hamlets of Hampton and Redlands.
The Loughborough Town Hall is a building fronting onto the Market Place in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. Built as a corn exchange and ballroom in 1855, it later became a municipal building and subsequently a theatre. It is a Grade II listed building. The building is still used for full council meetings of Charnwood Borough Council.
Swindon is a town in Wiltshire in the South West of England. People have lived in the town since the Bronze Age and the town's location, being approximately halfway between Bristol and London, made it an ideal location for the Locomotive Factories of the Great Western Railway in the 19th century.
The Goddard family were a prominent landed family chiefly living in the northern regions of the English counties of Wiltshire and Hampshire and the western part of Berkshire, between the Tudor period and the early 20th century.
Swindon Town Hall is a former municipal building in Swindon, England which was built in 1891 to be a centrepiece of New Swindon. It is currently used by Swindon Dance, a national dance agency. It is a Grade II listed building.
The history of local government in Swindon has its origins in the Middle Ages. After a long period of very little change, there followed a new era, beginning in the 19th century, of constant redevelopment and re-adjustment.
The Palace Theatre & Grand Hall Complex is a multi-purpose entertainment arena complex in Green Street, Kilmarnock, Scotland. The structure, which was originally opened as a corn exchange, is a Category A listed building.
The Oasis Leisure Centre was an entertainment and sports complex just outside the town centre of Swindon, Wiltshire, England, with facilities including a lagoon swimming pool, gym, bar, and concert hall. It was in operation from 1976 to 2020.
Wootton Bassett Museum is a local museum in the market town of Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, England. It is housed in the town hall which is a Grade II listed building.
The 2007 Swindon Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2007 to elect members of Swindon Unitary Council in Wiltshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative Party stayed in overall control of the council.
The 2013–14 season was Swindon Town's second consecutive season in the League One since gaining promotion from League Two in 2012.
The Great Western Hospital is a large hospital in Swindon, Wiltshire, England, near junction 15 of the M4 motorway. It opened in 2002 and is run by the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Corn exchanges are distinct buildings which were originally created as a venue for corn merchants to meet and arrange pricing with farmers for the sale of wheat, barley, and other corn crops. The word "corn" in British English denotes all cereal grains, such as wheat and barley. With the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, a large number of corn exchanges were built in England, particularly in the corn-growing areas of Eastern England.
Trowbridge Town Hall is a municipal building in Market Street, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England. The town hall, which was the headquarters of Trowbridge Urban District Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Wisbech Town Hall is a historic building on North Brink, Wisbech, Isle of Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. The building incorporates the offices, council chamber and mayor's parlour of Wisbech Town Council, and is a Grade II listed building.