Redesdale Hall

Redesdale Hall
Redesdale Hall
Location	High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh
Coordinates	51°59′24″N1°42′12″W / 51.9900°N 1.7033°W / 51.9900; -1.7033 Coordinates: 51°59′24″N1°42′12″W / 51.9900°N 1.7033°W / 51.9900; -1.7033
Built	1887
Architect	Sir Ernest George and Harold Peto
Architectural style(s)	Free Tudor style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name	Redesdale Hall (Town Hall), High Street
Designated	25 August 1960
Reference no.	1088683
Shown in Gloucestershire

Redesdale Hall, also referred to as Moreton-in-Marsh Town Hall, ^[1] is a municipal building in the High Street, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, England. The building, which is used as an events venue, is a Grade II listed building. ^[1]

History

The opportunity to replace an old 18th century market hall, which had become dilapidated, ^[2] arose following the death of the writer of religious polemics, John Freeman-Mitford, 1st Earl of Redesdale, in 1886. The earl, who had died unmarried, left all his estates to his distant cousin, Algernon Freeman-Mitford, who duly became lord of the manor and decided to erect a new building, in memory of his generous cousin, for benefit of the inhabitants of the town. ^[3] It was designed by Sir Ernest George and Harold Peto in the Free Tudor style, built by Peto Brothers of Pimlico in ashlar stone and was officially opened by the Minister without Portfolio, Sir Michael Hicks Beach, on 2 December 1887. ^{[3] [4]}

The design involved a near-symmetrical main frontage with six bays facing east down Oxford Street; the ground floor was arcaded, although never used as a market hall as such. ^[2] On the first floor, the first bay was blind; the second, third and fifth bays were fenestrated by four-light mullioned windows; the fourth bay featured a sundial which was surmounted by a chimney stack, while the sixth bay was fenestrated by a single mullioned window. The south elevation featured a panel containing the Redesdale coat of arms. The north and south elevations were fenestrated by pairs of two-light mullioned windows, reaching up into the gables, while the west elevation was fenestrated by a series of four-light mullioned windows. There were buttresses at the corners of the building and, at roof level, there was a square clock tower surmounted by a crown steeple. ^[1] Internally, the principal room was the assembly hall on the first floor with featured stained glass windows depicting the coats of arms of Algernon Freeman-Mitford and his wife, Clementina. ^[3]

Algernon Freeman-Mitford was raised to the peerage as the 1st Baron Redesdale in 1902 and, shortly after his death in 1916, his estates, which included Redesdale Hall, were acquired by Gilbert Wills, 1st Baron Dulverton. ^[5] Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1929, four local districts were amalgamated to form North Cotswold Rural District Council in 1935 ^[6] and the new council established its offices in a building on the east side of the High Street. ^[7] Dulverton presented Redesdale Hall, which was located just 70 yards (64 m) to the south of the council offices, to North Cotswold Rural District Council for use as a town hall in 1951. ^[5] The council initiated the infilling of the arches, to maximise use of the building, in 1952. ^[8]

In April 1972, the singer, pianist and composer, Elton John, used the building as the venue for the launch of his new label, the Rocket Record Company. ^[9] He took the opportunity of the visit to the town to buy a depiction of Redesdale Hall, which had been painted by the artist, L. S. Lowry, in the 1940s. ^[10] Following local government reorganisation in April 1974, the enlarged Cotswold District Council gave the building to Moreton-in-Marsh Parish Council in September 1974. ^[5] The parish council, which became known as Moreton-in-Marsh Town Council, continued to use the building for large civic meetings. ^[11] During the flooding in Gloucestershire in 2007, the building was used as a management centre for the administration of emergency shelter for local people. ^[12]

References

1. Historic England. "Redesdale Hall (Town Hall) (1088683)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 17 January 2022.
2. "'Parishes: Moreton-in-Marsh', in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 6, ed. C R Elrington". London: British History Online. 1965. pp. 240–250. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
3. Blacker, Beaver (1890). Gloucestershire Notes and Queries. Vol. 4. Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, and Company. p. 55.
4. The Building News and Engineering Journal. Vol. 52. 13 May 1887. p. 714.
5. "The Redesdale Hall". Moreton-in-Marsh Town Council. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
6. "North Cotswold RD". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
7. Historic England. "Cotswold District Council Offices (Branch Office) (1341694)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 January 2022.
8. Turner, Mark (2018). Moreton-in-Marsh Through Time. Amberley Publishing. ISBN   978-1445684284.
9. "Star chose market town for launch of Rocket Records label". Echo. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
10. Elder, David (2015). 50 Gems of the Cotswolds. Amberley Publishing. ISBN   978-1445646718.
11. "Full Council Meeting" (PDF). Moreton-in-Marsh Town Council. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 18 January 2022.
12. Thomas, Gill; Wilson, Sue (2007). Gloucestershire Floods 2007. History Press. p. 105. ISBN   978-0750949460.