| Tenterden Town Hall | |
|---|---|
 Tenterden Town Hall | |
| Location | High Street, Tenterden |
| Coordinates | 51°04′07″N0°41′17″E / 51.0687°N 0.6880°E |
| Built | 1792 |
| Architectural style(s) | Italianate style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | The Town Hall |
| Designated | 8 April 1970 |
| Reference no. | 1070343 |
  Shown in Kent | |
Tenterden Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Tenterden, Kent, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Tenterden Town Council, is a Grade II listed building. [1]
The first municipal building in the town was a medieval court hall which was burnt down by an inmate who had been incarcerated in the debtors' cells in March 1661. The borough council subsequently met in public houses until, in the late 18th century, the civic leaders decided to commission a dedicated building. The site they selected was owned by John Samson, who also owned the Woolpack Inn. After the council had acquired a long lease on the right-hand section of the site, construction started in 1790. The new building was designed in the Italianate style, built in brick with a stucco finish at a cost of £1,000 and was completed in 1792. [2]
The design involved a main frontage with five bays facing onto the High Street; the right-hand section, which was symmetrical, featured a doorway flanked by pilasters and by round headed openings with a prominent Venetian window on the first floor. The left-hand section featured a carriageway on the left and a three-part sash window on the right, while the first floor was fenestrated by a single sash window on the left and by a three-part sash window on the right. Internally, the rooms occupied by the council, which were in the right-hand section, were the grand jury room on the ground floor and the assembly hall on the first floor. [2]
The roof of the building was repaired after it was badly damaged in a fire in September 1879, a balcony supported by four columns was installed in May 1912 and the freehold in the property was acquired in February 1922. The council secured ownership of the left-hand section of the building as well in October 1925, so allowing a mayor's parlour to be established on the first floor. [2] The building was also extended to the north to create a town clerk's office in 1936 and it was refurbished, with the Venetian window being replaced, in 1973. [3]
The town hall continued to serve as the headquarters of the borough council for much of the 20th century, [4] but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged Ashford Borough Council was formed in 1974. [5] It subsequently became the meeting place of Tenterden Town Council as well as an approved venue for weddings and civil partnership ceremonies. [6] In January 2021, the town council announced plans to carry out a comprehensive restoration of the building, which would include the replacement of the 1930s extension, to a design by local architects, Theis & Khan, at a proposed cost of £1.75 million. [7] [8]
Works of art in the town hall include a portrait by Lance Calkin of the member of parliament, Colonel James Palmer, [9] a portrait by Daisy Radcliffe Beresford of Reverend Joseph Robert Diggle [10] and a portrait by William Hoare of the master of Sunbury School, Samuel Curteis. [11] [12]
Barry Council Office and Library is a local government building and public library located in King Square, Barry, Wales. The building, which was once the meeting place of Barry Municipal Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Bournemouth Town Hall, also known as the Civic Centre and formerly the Mont Dore Hotel, is a municipal facility in Bourne Avenue, Bournemouth, England. The town hall, which is the meeting place of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, is a Grade II listed building. The town hall stands opposite Bournemouth Gardens and the Bournemouth War Memorial and is adjacent to St. Andrew's Church, Richmond Hill.
Wells Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place in Wells, Somerset, England. The building, which is the headquarters of Wells City Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Farnham Town Hall is a municipal building in South Street, Farnham, Surrey, England. It provides the offices and the meeting place of Farnham Town Council.
Whitehaven Town Hall is a municipal building in Duke Street in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England. The building, which was the headquarters of Whitehaven Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Godalming Borough Hall is a municipal building in Bridge Street in Godalming, a town in Surrey, England. The building was the meeting place of Godalming Town Council.
The Municipal Buildings are based in Corn Exchange Road, Stirling, Scotland. The structure, which was the meeting place of Stirling Burgh Council, is a Category B listed building.
Great Torrington Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street, Great Torrington, Devon, England. The town hall, which is the meeting place of Great Torrington Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Queenborough Guildhall is a former municipal building in the High Street in Queenborough, Kent, England. The structure, which is currently used as a museum, is a Grade II listed building.
Richmond Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place, Richmond, North Yorkshire, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Richmond Town Council, is a grade II listed building.
Wallingford Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Wallingford Town Council, is a Grade I listed building.
Bishop's Castle Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Bishop's Castle, Shropshire, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Bishop's Castle Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
Eye Town Hall is a municipal building in Broad Street in Eye, Suffolk, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Eye Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
The Old Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place in Wilton, Wiltshire, England. The structure, which is currently used as a Baptist church, is a Grade II listed building.
Welshpool Town Hall, is a municipal building in Broad Street, Welshpool, Powys, Wales. The structure, which is the meeting place of Welshpool Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Brecon Guildhall, is a municipal building in the High Street, Brecon, Powys, Wales. The structure, which is the meeting place of Brecon Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.
The Moot Hall is a municipal building in Boroughgate, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, England. The building, which is currently used as the meeting place of Appleby-in-Westmorland Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
Higham Ferrers Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Square in Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire, England. The structure, which serves as the offices and meeting place of Higham Ferrers Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Harwich Guildhall is a municipal building in Church Street, Harwich, Essex, England. The structure, which accommodates the offices of Harwich Town Council, is a Grade I listed building.
Gravesham Civic Centre is a municipal building in Windmill Street in Gravesend, a town in Kent, in England. The building accommodates the offices and meeting place of Gravesham Borough Council.