Old Town Hall, Crediton

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Old Town Hall
High Street, Crediton - geograph.org.uk - 2909689 (cropped).jpg
The building in 2012
LocationHigh Street, Crediton
Coordinates 50°47′27″N3°39′37″W / 50.7909°N 3.6604°W / 50.7909; -3.6604
Built1852
ArchitectRichard Davie Gould
Architectural style(s) Neoclassical style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameFormer Literary Society Public Rooms
Designated10 October 1972
Reference no.1208961
Devon UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Devon

The Old Town Hall is a historic building in the High Street in Crediton, a town in Devon in England. The structure, which was previously used as public events venue and currently accommodates the Crediton Museum, is a Grade II listed building. [1]

Contents

History

The building was commissioned by the Crediton Literary Society and Mechanic's Institute to serve as their public rooms. The society had around 150 members and was established in 1832. [2] The building was designed by Richard Davie Gould of Barnstaple in the neoclassical style, built in brick with a stucco finish and was completed in 1852. [1] [3] [4]

Near the end of the century, the building was reconstructed, but the original facade was retained. It then served as a public events venue known as the "Town Hall". It became a popular venue for theatrical performances: a comic play known as "A Bogus Bandit" by Leopold Montague was performed there in February 1896, [5] and plays continued to be performed there until the mid-20th century. [6] The building was not used as a town hall in the municipal sense: the local urban district council was based at the council offices in Parliament Street. [7] The Royal British Legion acquired the building in 1951 but the Legion then sold it on for retail use in 1962. [8] The ground floor was altered and it was subsequently occupied by a furniture and bedding shop, known as "Townsends". [9] The building was grade II listed in 1972. [1]

In the early 21st century, the building acquired by the Crediton Area Development Trust, for use as a community events venue. [10] A major programme of refurbishment works, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, was completed at a cost of £478,500 in 2004. [11] While the first floor was made available for community events, the Crediton Area History and Museum Society, which was founded in 1984, established the Crediton Museum on the ground floor in April 2010. [12] Exhibits include a detailed drawing as well as a model of the High Street immediately before a major fire which took place in 1743. [13] [14]

Architecture

The two-storey building is constructed of brick on a stone plinth, with stone dressings and a slate roof. The front and the ground floor of the right side is stuccoed. The design involves a symmetrical main frontage of three bays. There are three round-headed openings on the ground floor with a doorway in the left-hand opening and windows in the other two openings. The first floor is fenestrated with sash windows with balustrades in front and pediments above. The main frontage is surmounted by a large modillioned pediment containing a roundel with a projecting bracket in the tympanum. Below the pediment is an inscription: "ANNO QUINTO VICTORIAE REGINAE MDCCCLII". Inside, there is an open well staircase, and the first floor room has late Victorian plasterwork. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Historic England. "Former Literary Society Public Rooms (1208961)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  2. ↑ Radford, Isaiah Can (14 March 1853). Abstract of returns from the various Literary and Scientific Institutions in Cornwall and Devon. House of Commons. p. 202.
  3. ↑ Cherry, Bridget; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2002). Devon (Buildings of England Series). Yale University Press. p. 298. ISBN   978-0300095968.
  4. ↑ "Former Crediton Town Hall". Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  5. ↑ Ledger, Edward (1897). The Era Almanack and Annual. p. 78.
  6. ↑ The Amateur Stage. Vol. 12. 1957. p. 50. The Sacred Flame, Whipton Dramatic Club, Crediton Town Hall
  7. ↑ "No. 44630". The London Gazette . 9 July 1968. p. 7677.
  8. ↑ "General Archive" (PDF). Crediton Area History and Museum Society. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  9. ↑ "Memories of Crediton in the 70s – and maybe before and after!". Crediton Courier. 11 January 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  10. ↑ "Assessment of the Local Economic, Employment and Training Impact for HLF Funded Projects" (PDF). The Heritage Fund. 14 February 2008. p. 1. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  11. ↑ "Old Town Hall, Crediton". The Heritage Fund. 4 November 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  12. ↑ "The history of Crediton Area History and Museum Society". Crediton Courier. 18 August 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  13. ↑ "Crediton Museum". Crediton Area History and Museum Society. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  14. ↑ "Don't miss 'The Great Fire of Crediton' exhibition at Crediton Museum". Crediton Courier. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
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