See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Tiverton Town Hall is a large, ornate building in the Italianate style with a tall octagonal tower over the entrance.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II) 1384734: THE TOWN HALL

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS91SE/40
• Old Listed Building Ref (II): 485192

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TOWN HALL (XIX - 1862 AD to 1864 AD (Between))

Full description

Devon County Council, Film 41 (Ground Photograph). SDV339359.

Authers, W. P., The Town Hall, Fore St, Tiverton (Leaflet). SDV339358.

A Guildhall or Town House was built on this site in circa 1615, when the Borough received its Charter of Incorporation. Enlarged in 1788, it also contained the prison, a bank and a wine cellar. It was demolished to make way for the present building which was opened in 1864. It is a large ornate building in the Italianate style with a tall octagonal tower over the entrance. Designed by Henry Lloyd of Bristol. Other details described.

Department of Environment, 1972, Tiverton, 214 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV52494.

The Town Hall is identified as a building of local interest only on Tiverton Borough maps. Other details: Map 1.

Timms, S. C., 1976, The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft, 65 (Report - Survey). SDV341346.

Impett, R. M., 1981, Tiverton Town Hall (Ground Photograph). SDV339360.

Department of Environment, 1985, Tiverton (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV341211.

Grey freestone with sandstone dressings, marble columns and ornamental slate roofs. Grand, richly detailed asymmetrical front elevation with a two storey canted entrance bay to the right, rising as a polygonal turret with a steep poygonal slated roof. A second, square, turret at the extreme left is set back from the entrance and has a plainer steep roof. Between the turrets the front elevation is stepped back in two bays with semi-circular corners, with a similar bay to the right of the entrance, giving a bow to the Angel Hill façade. Considerable survival of original interior features.

Mid Devon District Council, 1995, Tiverton Conservation Area Partnership Scheme. Preliminary Application, 5, 6 (Un-published). SDV346055.

Exuberant Franco-Venetian style.

Parker, R. + Turton, S. D. + Weddell, P. J., 1999, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Redevelopment in St Andrew Street, Tiverton, Devon, 5 (Report - Assessment). SDV341212.

Before the Town Hall was built in 1862-4, St Andrew Street was on a straighter alignment. The road was altered to accommodate the grand new structure, and now it curves to the east around the former boundary between St Georges churchyard and the old Town Hall. Any remains associated with earlier buildings now lie, for the most part, beneath the road surface at the top of St Andrews Street, and possibly also beneath the very front part of the present building, which is set well forward over the entire earlier road line.

Ordnance Survey, 2007, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV337643.

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

Town hall. 1862-64 by H Lloyd of Bristol. Grey freestone with sandstone dressings, marble columns and ornamental slate roofs.
Style: Eclectic Free Renaissance. Plan: asymmetrical.
Exterior: two storeys. Grand, richly-detailed, asymmetrical front elevation with a two storey canted entrance bay to the right rising as a polygonal turret with a steep polygonal slated roof. A second, square turret at the extreme left is set back from the entrance and has a plainer steep roof; between the turrets the front elevation is stepped back in two bays with semicircular corners with a similar bay to the right of the entrance giving a bow to the Angel Hill facade. The entrance bay is divided by two tiers of marble columns with Corinthian capitals with a segmental pediment at first-floor level. The round-headed doorway has a carved head keystone, the windows are round-headed with keystones and eared lugged architraves. The turret has paired round-headed windows with keystones and a central clock below a round-headed arch. The bays to left and right of the entrance are heavily rusticated with round-headed windows with keystones and eclectic detailing including rusticated pilasters and a decorated parapet. The left-hand turret has rusticated corner pilasters and blind round-headed arches to the first and second floors. Both turrets are crowned by small platforms with decorated iron balustrades and weathervanes.
Interior: considerable survival of original features including the stair.
History: the architectural completion for the town hall attracted 60 entries. The final cost of the building was £8,000. (Cunningham). The town hall is on a prominent corner site at the top of Angel Hill and adjacent to the Church of St George. (Cunningham C: Victorian & Edwardian Town Halls: 1981-; The Boulder: 1864-).

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4408 - Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Redevelopment in St Andrew Street, Tiverton, Devon

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.