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Summary

The town hall was built in classical style in 1861 with a pedimented central projection carried over the pavement on round arches. The Council Chamber has panelling from the old Plough Inn. The present town hall replaced a structure built in 1763 which had itself replaced an earlier building. Features and finds revealed during recent groundworks on the site were predominently post medieval in date and associated with the 18th century remodelling of the town hall although residual finds of medieval pottery together with possible evidence for medieval walling indicate earlier activity and buildings in the area.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1332997: TOWN HALL

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS41NE/27
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 90472

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TOWN HALL (XIX - 1861 AD to 1861 AD (Between))

Full description

Amery, P. F. S., 1900-1901, A Tour across Dartmoor into North Devon by the Rev. John Swete 1789, 126 (Article in Serial). SDV18670.

Near the church was a respectable town hall opening into a square or market place.

Department of Environment, 1973, Great Torrington, 15 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV2214.

Town Hall, 1861. Classical style. Rusticated stone lower storey, red brick with stone dressings above. Three-window pedimented centre projection is carried over pavement on round arches, cartouche with date in tympanum. Sash windows with stone architraves and cill brackets, and with pediments or cornices. Stone ogee bracket main cornice. Front part of ground floor is also open, supported on stone piers and arches. Iron ties brace long span wood beams. Interior has interesting portraits and Council Chamber has panelling from the old Plough Inn.

Timms, S. C., 1982, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV348606.

Site visit in 1982. No change to exterior. Interior used as museum. Passageway under town hall is still called The Shambles, and the whole group of buildings bordered by Fore, High, Cornmarket and South Streets represents infilling of the market place.

Hunt, P. J., 1989, Torrington, 7 (Report - non-specific). SDV352248.

Evans, P. + McConnell, 2010, Sydney House Car Park, South Street, Great Torrington, Devon: An Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, 7 (Report - Assessment). SDV354455.

Ordnance Survey, 2011, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV346129.

Bampton, J. + Webb, P., 2015, The Town Hall, Great Torrington, Devon. Results of a Desk-Based Assessment & Archaeological Monitoring & Recording (Report - Assessment). SDV359680.

The present town hall, a Grade II listed building, was built in classical style in 1861. Documentary and cartographic records indicate that there was an earlier structure on the site built in 1763 which itself had replaced an even earlier building. Groundworks associated with renovations of the present building and a new extension revealed a number of features including cobbled surfaces, walls, foundation trenches and post holes. The majority of features are post medieval, mainly associated with the 18th century remodelling of the Town Hall, although cobble surface 235 potentially dates to the 16th century and the walls associated with construction cuts 124 and 127 may be medieval in origin. Finds included ceramic and stone building materials, clay pipe fragments, glass and pottery. The pottery was predominantly North Devon coarsewares dating to the post medieval period but there were also some North Devon medieval coarsewares recovered as residual finds. See report for full details.

Historic England, 2018, National Heritage List for England, 1332997 (National Heritage List for England). SDV360653.

Town Hall. 1861. Classical style. Rusticated stone lower storey, red brick with stone dressings above. 3-window pedimented centre projection is carried over pavement on round arches cartouche with date in tympanum. Sash windows with stone architraves and cill brackets, and with pediments or cornices. Stone ogee bracket main cornice. Front part of ground floor is also open supported on stone piers and arches. Iron ties brace long span wood beams. Interior has interesting portraits and Council Chamber has panelling from the old Plough Inn.
All the listed buildings in High Street form a group.
Date first listed: 19th March 1951

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV6300 - CERAMIC (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• FDV6299 - CERAMIC (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1750 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV7081 - Desk-Based Assessment and Archaeological Monitoring and Recording at Great Torrington Town Hall

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