| Totnes Guildhall | |
|---|---|
 Guildhall | |
| Location | Totnes, Devon |
| Coordinates | 50°25′56″N3°41′16″W / 50.4321°N 3.6879°W |
| Built | 1553 |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Designated | 7 January 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1235949 |
  Location of Totnes Guildhall in Devon | |
Totnes Guildhall is a 16th-century Tudor historic guildhall, magistrate's court, and prison, in the town of Totnes, south Devon, in southwest England. It is a Grade I listed building. [1]
After Totnes was granted a charter by King John enabling the town to makes its own bylaws in 1206, [2] the merchants of the town secured permission to establish a guild and constructed their original guildhall in the High Street. [2] The old guildhall became a place for measuring and stamping cloth in the late 16th century and was then rebuilt as a private residence in 1719. [3]
The current building was originally part of Totnes Priory, which had been established by Juhel de Totnes, feudal baron of Totnes. [4] Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries by King Henry VIII in the 1540s, his successor, King Edward VI, granted Totnes a charter, in 1553, allowing one of the former priory buildings, which had been used as the monks' refectory, to be converted into a guildhall. [5] Part of the first floor of the building was converted for use as a magistrates' court in 1624. [1] Soldiers were billeted in the building during the English Civil War: the council chamber at the west end of the first floor hosted a meeting between Oliver Cromwell and Thomas Fairfax at the oak tables there in 1646. [6]
The lower hall was used as a public meeting room as evidenced by the names of over 600 town mayors, who have served since 1359, listed on its walls. [7] After prison cells had been built in the basement, the building was also used as the town gaol until 1887. [6] The building was extended to the east by the addition of a loggia in front of the original building in 1897: the extension was designed with Doric order columns which had been recovered from the Exchange which had been demolished in 1878. [1] [8]
Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the guildhall in July 1962. [9] [10] The council chamber continued to be used as the meeting place of the borough of Totnes but ceased to be the local seat of government after the formation of South Hams District Council under the Local Government Act 1972; [11] the magistrates' court continued to be used for court hearings until 1974. [6]
The building continues to be used by Totnes Town Council for meetings and other ceremonial events. It is also open to the public during weekdays. [12]
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about 5 miles (8.0 km) west of Paignton, about 7 miles (11 km) west-southwest of Torquay and about 20 miles (32 km) east-northeast of Plymouth. It is the administrative centre of the South Hams District Council.
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.
Totnes Castle is one of the best preserved examples of a Norman motte and bailey castle in England. It is situated in the town of Totnes on the River Dart in Devon. The surviving stone keep and curtain wall date from around the 14th century. From after the Norman Conquest of 1066 it was the caput of the Feudal barony of Totnes.
Barnstaple is a river-port town and civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon, England. The town lies at the River Taw's lowest crossing point before the Bristol Channel. From the 14th century, it was licensed to export wool from which it earned great wealth. Later it imported Irish wool, but its harbour silted up and other trades developed such as shipbuilding, foundries and sawmills. A Victorian market building survives, with a high glass and timber roof on iron columns.
South Hams is a local government district on the south coast of Devon, England. Its council is based in the town of Totnes, although the largest town is Ivybridge. The district also contains the towns of Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Salcombe and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.
Totnes was a parliamentary constituency in Devon represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament.
South Molton is a town and civil parish in the North Devon district, in the county of Devon, England. The town is on the River Mole. In 2021 it had a population of 6225.
The Guildhall in Leicester, England, is a timber framed building, with the earliest part dating from c. 1390. The Guildhall once acted as the town hall for the city until the current one was commissioned in 1876. It is located in the old walled city, on a street now known as Guildhall Lane. It was used first as the meeting place for the Guild of Corpus Christi and then later for the more formal Corporation of Leicester. The hall was used for many purposes, including council meetings, feasts, as a courtroom, and for theatrical performances; the ultimatum given to the city during English Civil War was discussed here. It is a Grade I listed building, and the surrounding area, also including the Cathedral of St Martin's, is a conservation area, one of three in Leicester.
Norwich Guildhall is a municipal building on Gaol Hill in the city of Norwich, Norfolk, England. It is a Grade I listed building.
Exeter Guildhall on the High Street of Exeter, Devon, England has been the centre of civic government for the city for at least 600 years. Much of the fabric of the building is medieval, though the elaborate frontage was added in the 1590s and the interior was extensively restored in the 19th century. It is a Grade I listed building.
The Rochester Guildhall is an historic building located in the High Street in Rochester, Kent, England. It is a Grade I listed building.
The Guildhall is a historic building in Bore Street in Lichfield, Staffordshire in the United Kingdom. The guildhall is a Grade II listed building.
The Much Wenlock Guildhall is a guildhall located on Wilmore Street in Much Wenlock, Shropshire. It is a Grade II* listed building.
Devonport Guildhall is a municipal building that served as a municipal hall, courthouse, mortuary, and police station, located in the municipal centre of the town of Devonport, in Plymouth, Devon, England. The site fell into disrepair and since the mid-1980s has been repurposed for community facilities. It is a Grade I listed building.
Salisbury Guildhall is an 18th-century municipal building in the Market Place, Salisbury, England. The building, which is the meeting place of the Salisbury City Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
King's Lynn Guildhall, more fully referred to as the Guildhall of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, is a municipal building in Saturday Market Place in King's Lynn, Norfolk. It is a Grade I listed building. The building was substantially extended in 1895, with the whole complex now generally known as King's Lynn Town Hall, with the 1895 extension being separately listed at Grade II. It is the usual meeting place of King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council.
Stratford-upon-Avon Guildhall is a historic building in Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building. Dating from the early 15th century, the Guildhall was for centuries at the centre of life in Stratford, being used for assemblies, as a meeting place for the local council, and as a school building for the King Edward VI School. Most famously William Shakespeare almost certainly attended school here. The building was opened to the public in 2016, after being restored.
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.
Bodmin Guildhall is a historic building in Fore Street in Bodmin, a town in Cornwall, in England. The structure, which was used for municipal purposes before being converted for use as a baker's shop and restaurant, is a Grade II listed building.
