| Ealing Town Hall | |
|---|---|
 Ealing Town Hall | |
| Location | Ealing, London, England |
| Coordinates | 51°30′47″N0°18′27″W / 51.5130°N 0.3076°W |
| Built | 1888 |
| Architect | Charles Jones |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic Revival style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Designated | 19 January 1981 |
| Reference no. | 1358791 |
  Shown in Ealing | |
Ealing Town Hall is a municipal building in New Broadway, Ealing, London, England. It is a Grade II listed building. [1]
The building was commissioned to replace a mid-19th century town hall in The Mall designed by Charles Jones in the Gothic Revival style. [2] The site selected for the new building was open land owned by the Wood family, who were major landowners in the area. [3] [4]
The new building, which was also designed by Charles Jones and in the same style but on a much larger scale, was built by Hugh Knight and officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 15 December 1888. [5] The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage with eleven bays facing onto New Broadway; the central section featured a double round arched doorway on the ground floor; there were oriel windows on the first and second floors and a gable above flanked by turrets; the design also featured an off-centre clock tower with lancet windows and a spire. [6] A public hall intended for hosting events such as dances, wedding receptions and political rallies, known as the Victoria Hall, was erected on the north east corner of the site. [7] Internally, the principal room was the original council chamber on the first floor which was renamed the "Nelson Room" in the 1930s in memory of Sir Edward Montague Nelson, a former mayor. [6]
The building was significantly extended to the east, with a new octagonally towered entrance, to the designs of Ealing architect [8] George Fellowes Prynne in 1930. [6] Internally, the extension created a new council chamber and a mayor's parlour as well as a new public hall in the basement which became known as the "Queens Hall". [6]
The building had been established as the offices of the local board of health and, after Ealing became an urban district in 1894, it became the new council offices. [6] It went on to become headquarters of the Municipal Borough of Ealing in 1901 and continued to function as the local of seat of government when the enlarged London Borough of Ealing was formed in 1965. [9]
A large "spanner-shaped" building designed by Sidney Kaye, Eric Firmin & Partners was erected to the west of the town hall, as additional accommodation for council officers and their departments, in 1983. [6] Initially referred to as the "Civic Centre", it was renamed, in the mid-1990s, "Perceval House" after Spencer Perceval, a former Prime Minister who, before he was assassinated, lived in Elm Grove in Ealing. [10]
In July 2016, in the context of large budget deficit and the need to reshape its services, [11] the council announced an agreement with a hotel developer to convert part of the Town Hall and the Victoria Hall into a boutique hotel. [12] The development could also see a 28-storey tower block on the Perceval House site. [13]
After a health and safety assessment identified concerns over the condition of the town hall, the council relocated its meetings to Perceval House in October 2023. [14]
Works of art in the town hall include a portrait of King Edward VII by Henry John Hudson, [15] a portrait of Spencer Perceval by an unknown artist [10] and a portrait of Sir Edward Montague Nelson by Barnett Samuel Marks. [16]
Ealing is a district in West London, England, 7.5 miles (12.1 km) west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. It is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan.
Spencer Perceval was a British statesman and barrister who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 1809 until his assassination in May 1812. He is the only British prime minister to have been assassinated, and the only solicitor-general or attorney-general to have become prime minister.
Pitzhanger Manor is an English country house famous as the home of neoclassical architect, Sir John Soane. Built between 1800 and 1804 in Walpole Park Ealing, to the west of London), the Regency Manor is a rare and spectacular example of a building designed, built and lived in by Sir John Soane himself. Soane intended it as a domestic space to entertain guests in, as well as a family home for a dynasty of architects, starting with his sons.
Northampton Guildhall is a municipal building in St Giles' Square in Northampton, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.
Charles Jones was Ealing's first architect, engineer and surveyor. He held these posts for fifty years, and is known for his work on civic buildings.
Walpole Park is a 28 acres (110,000 m2) Grade II municipal park, situated in Ealing, England. Currently governed by Ealing Council, it was initially the grounds of Pitzhanger Manor, the early 19th-century country home of Sir John Soane. It was acquired by Ealing Council in 1899 and opened to the public for the first time on 1 May 1901.
Barrow-in-Furness Town Hall is a Gothic Revival style municipal building in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. The building, which served as the headquarters of the former Barrow Borough Council, and now one of the bases of Westmorland and Furness Council, lies within a Conservation Area with Grade II* listed status.
The Guildford Guildhall is a Guildhall located on the High Street of the town of Guildford, Surrey. It is a Grade I listed building.
St Alban's Church, Acton Green, also called St Alban the Martyr, is a church on South Parade, Acton Green in Chiswick, west London, designed by Edward Monson Jr. and opened in 1888.
The Victoria Hall, Ealing is a public hall belonging to the west London community of Ealing for their recreational use. It was conceived in 1886 by Charles Jones the first architect, engineer and surveyor of Ealing Council. Its construction next to Ealing Town Hall was funded entirely by public donations and its operations governed by the Victoria Hall Trust, established in 1893. In 2015 the Council announced plans to sell off the Grade II listed building to a development partner on a long lease. The plan led to protests by local residents' groups who called for the Hall to continue to be available for use as a public asset.
Greenwich Town Hall is a municipal building on Royal Hill, Greenwich, London. It is a Grade II listed building.
Acton Town Hall is a municipal building in High Street, Acton, London, England. It is a Grade II listed building.
Stoke Newington Town Hall is a municipal building in Church Street, Stoke Newington, London. It is a Grade II listed building.
Wallington Town Hall is a municipal building in Woodcote Road, Wallington, London. It is a Grade II listed building.
Colchester Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Colchester, Essex, England. The town hall, which is the headquarters of Colchester City Council, is a Grade I listed building.
Bideford Town Hall is a municipal building at the corner of Bridge Street and New Road in Bideford, Devon, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Bideford Town Council and is also used for some meetings of Torridge District Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Newbury Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place in Newbury, Berkshire, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Newbury Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Lewes Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Lewes, East Sussex, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Lewes Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.
Woodstock Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England. The building, which is used as a community events venue, is a Grade II listed building.
Ealing Fields High School is a coeducational secondary school, located in the London Borough of Ealing, England. The school site is on a Grade II listed building with a set of new teaching buildings. It was opened as a Free school in 2016 and joined the Twyford CofE Academies Trust in 2017. Ealing Fields is currently rated 'Good' by Ofsted, with Outstanding features.