Torquay Town Hall

Last updated

Torquay Town Hall
Torquay.townhall.arp.750pix.jpg
Torquay Town Hall
LocationCastle Circus, Torquay, Devon
Coordinates 50°28′07″N3°31′55″W / 50.4687°N 3.5320°W / 50.4687; -3.5320
Built1911
ArchitectThomas Davison
Architectural style(s) Edwardian Baroque style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameThe Town Hall
Designated10 January 1975
Reference no.1208247
Devon UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Devon

Torquay Town Hall is a municipal building in Castle Circus in Torquay, Devon, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Torbay Council, is a Grade II listed building. [1]

History

The first municipal structure in Torquay was the old town hall in Union Street which was completed in June 1852. [2] [3] After finding that the old town hall was too small for their needs, civic leaders decided to procure a new building; the site they selected had previously formed part of the grounds of St Mary Magdalene's Church. [4]

The foundation stone for the new building was laid by the mayor, Councillor John Smerdon, on 14 February 1906. [5] It was designed by Thomas Davison in the Edwardian Baroque style and built in two phases: the first phase, to the south west, which included the Carnegie library, was built by R. E. Narracott of Stoke Gabriel and completed in 1907 and the second phase, to the north east, which included the civic rooms, was built by R. Wilkins of Bristol and was completed in 1911. [1] The complex was officially opened in August 1913. [6]

The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with thirteen bays facing onto Castle Circus with the end bays slightly projected forward; the central section, which also slightly projected forward, featured a portico with Doric order columns supporting an entablature with triglyphs and a coat of arms above; there was a Diocletian window on the first floor and a pediment and a three-stage clock tower above, [1] containing an electric clock by Messrs Gent of Leicester. [7] The south west elevation featured a domed curved entrance giving access to the library, while the north east elevation featured three recessed bays giving access to the main hall. [1]

During the First World War, the town hall was used as a Red Cross Voluntary Aid Detachment auxiliary hospital for wounded service personnel. [8] [9] Nursing staff included the novelist, Agatha Christie, who arrived in October 1914. [9] King George V and Queen Mary visited the hospital and met with wounded soldiers on 10 September 2015. [9] Speakers in the main hall included the novelist, Arthur Conan Doyle, who lectured on "Death and the Hereafter" on 5 August 1920. [9] There were also concert performances by the Rolling Stones in August 1964, by the Who in July 1965 and by David Bowie in June 1973. [9]

The building was the headquarters of Torquay Borough Council for much of the 20th century and remained the local seat of government when the short-lived Torbay County Borough Council was formed in 1968; [10] in 1974 it became the home of Torbay District Council [11] which renamed itself Torbay Council when it became the unitary authority for the area in April 1998. [10] Repairs to clock tower were carried out in autumn 2020. [12]

Works in the town hall include a portrait of the former local member of parliament, Sir Lawrence Palk. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torquay</span> Town in Devon, England

Torquay is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies 18 miles (29 km) south of the county town of Exeter and 28 miles (45 km) east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay and across from the fishing port of Brixham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torbay</span> Borough in Devon, England

Torbay is a unitary authority with a borough status in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. It is governed by Torbay Council, based in the town of Torquay, and also includes the towns of Paignton and Brixham. The borough consists of 24.27 sq mi (62.9 km2) of land around the east-facing Tor Bay, part of Lyme Bay on the English Channel. A popular tourist destination, Torbay's sandy beaches, mild climate and recreational and leisure attractions have given rise to its nickname of the English Riviera. The neighbouring districts are South Hams and Teignbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paignton</span> Seaside town in Devon, England

Paignton is a seaside town on the coast of Tor Bay in Devon, England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the borough of Torbay which was created in 1968. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton has origins as a Celtic settlement and was first mentioned in 1086. It grew as a small fishing village and a new harbour was built in 1847. A railway line was opened to passengers in 1859 creating links to Torquay and London. As its population increased, it merged with the villages of Goodrington and Preston. Paignton is around 25 miles (40 km) north east of Plymouth and 20 miles (32 km) south of Exeter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oldway Mansion</span> Mansion in Paignton England completed 1870s

Oldway Mansion is a large house and gardens in Paignton, Devon, England. It was built as a private residence for Isaac Singer (1811–1875), and rebuilt by his son Paris Singer, in the style of the Palace of Versailles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Marychurch</span> Human settlement in England

St Marychurch is an area of Torquay, in the Torbay district, in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. It is one of the oldest settlements in South Devon. Its name derives from the church of St Mary, which was founded in Anglo-Saxon times. The ward population taken at the 2011 census was 11,262.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torquay railway station</span> Railway station in Devon, England

Torquay railway station is on the Riviera Line and serves the seaside resort of Torquay, Devon, England. It is 219 miles 79 chains (354 km) from London Paddington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Torquay</span>

The History of Torquay, a town in Torbay, on the south coast of the county of Devon, England, starts some 450,000 years ago with early human artefacts found in Kents Cavern. There is little evidence of any permanent occupation at Torquay until the eleventh century records in the Domesday Book, though it is known that visits were made by Roman soldiers and there was a small Saxon settlement called 'Torre'. In 1196 Torre Abbey was founded here, which by the time of its dissolution in 1539, had become the richest Premonstratensian Monastery in England. The buildings were bought by Sir George Cary in 1662. The Cary family and the Briwere family between them owned much of the land now occupied by Torquay. By the 19th century, most of the land was owned by three families: the Carys, the Palks, and the Mallocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torbay Hospital</span> NHS hospital

Torbay Hospital in Torquay is the main hospital of South Devon, England. It is managed by the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reading Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Reading, Berkshire, England

Reading Town Hall is the town hall of Reading, Berkshire, England. The town hall was built in several phases between 1786 and 1897, although the principal facade was designed by Alfred Waterhouse in 1875. Situated close to the site of Reading Abbey, it is adjoined to the north by the Hospitium of St John and to the south by St Laurence's Church.

Torquay Lifeboat Station was the base for Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) search and rescue operations at Torquay, Devon in England from 1876 until 1923. A second lifeboat was kept at the harbour from 1917 until 1928.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawkmoor Hospital</span> Hospital in England

Hawkmoor Hospital, originally known as Hawkmoor County Sanatorium, was a specialist hospital near Bovey Tracey in Devon, England, founded in 1913 as a pulmonary tuberculosis sanatorium as part of a network of such facilities, instigated by the Public Health 1912. From 1948, the hospital catered for patients with a range of chest ailments, as well as chest surgery, and mental disability patients. From 1973, the facility dealt solely with mental health problems until its closure in 1987.

Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust was a NHS trust that provided health and care in and around Torbay, Devon, England. It was a pioneer within the NHS in England in demonstrating the advantages of integrating health and social care into one organisation. And "one of three areas that have been working to learn from Kaiser Permanente, a leading United States health maintenance organisation." It was established as Torbay Care Trust in October 2005, with responsibility for social care in a partnership agreement with Torbay Borough Council. From then until April 2012, the trust had responsibility for both commissioning (buying) and providing integrated health and social care services to people in the Torbay area. As part of the changes associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2012 the commissioning function was detached from the trust.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torbay Council</span>

Torbay Council is the local authority for Torbay, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Devon County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haldon Belvedere</span> Historic tower in Devon, England

Haldon Belvedere or Lawrence Tower is a triangular tower in the Haldon Hills in the county of Devon, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torquay Marine Spa</span>

The Torquay Marine Spa was a swimming bath and entertainment complex situated on a promontory overlooking Beacon Cove in the town of Torquay, Devon, England. The buildings included a ballroom, concert hall, sunlit conservatory and private bathing facilities. There was also a large public swimming bath open to the sea below these.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mallock Memorial Clock Tower</span> Clock tower in Devon, England

The Mallock Memorial Clock Tower is situated at the harbourside in Torquay, Devon, England. It is a Grade II Listed Building, and was first listed in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brixham Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Brixham, Devon, England

Brixham Town Hall is a municipal building in New Street, Brixham, Devon, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Brixham Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Marychurch Town Hall</span> Municipal building in St Marychurch, Devon, England

St Marychurch Town Hall is a municipal building in Fore Street, St Marychurch, Devon, England. The town hall, which is now used as a block of apartments, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Torquay</span> Municipal building in Torquay, Devon, England

The Old Town Hall is a former municipal building in Union Street, Torquay, Devon, England. The building, which was the headquarters of Torquay Borough Council until 1911, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Paignton</span> Municipal building in Paignton, Devon, England

The Old Town Hall is a former municipal building in New Street in Paignton, a town in Devon, in England. It served as the offices of Paignton Urban District Council until 1946, but was later converted for residential use.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Historic England. "The Town Hall (1208247)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  2. ↑ Historic England. "Old Town Hall (1291593)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  3. ↑ "Torquay's Historic Buildings". Balmoral Hotel. 25 November 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "Ordnance Survey Map". 1890. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  5. ↑ Retallick, Leslie (2004). "Torre Abbey: Catalogue of the Art Collections". p. 6. CiteSeerX   10.1.1.622.4775 .
  6. ↑ "The Town Hall and Carnegie Library". Devon Heritage. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  7. ↑ "Electric Turret Clocks". The Electrical Review. LXXII (1, 845): 557. 4 April 1913.
  8. ↑ "List of auxiliary hospitals in the UK during the First World War" (PDF). British Red Cross. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Dixon, Kevin (3 March 2018). "Torquay Town Hall: that sacred stage". We are South Devon. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  10. 1 2 "Council History". Torbay Council. Archived from the original on 26 December 2012. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  11. ↑ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN   0-10-547072-4.
  12. ↑ "Repairs needed to landmark clock tower in Torquay". Devon Live. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  13. ↑ "Sir Lawrence Palk (1818–1883), MP". Art UK. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
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.