Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall is a municipal building in Market Street in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England. The structure, which was used as the offices of Ashby-de-la-Zouch Urban District Council, is a Grade II listed building.[1] The market hall, which is located behind the town hall, is separately listed.[2]
| Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall | |
| Location | Market Street, Ashby-de-la-Zouch |
| Coordinates | 52°44′51″N 1°28′12″W / 52.7474°N 1.4701°W |
| Built | 1857 |
| Architect | Henry Isaac Stevens |
| Architectural style(s) | Italianate style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Town Hall |
| Designated | 29 September 1977 |
| Reference no. | 1073608 |
  Shown in Leicestershire | |
History
editIn the first half of the 19th century, petty session hearings were held in a detached building in the grounds of the George Inn in Market Street.[3][4] After finding this arrangement unsatisfactory, a group of local business leaders decided to form a company to commission a purpose-built complex for holding public meetings, court hearings and markets.[5] The new complex was designed by Henry Isaac Stevens in the Italianate style, built in ashlar stone and was completed in 1857.[1][6][7]
The design of the town hall, which was at the front of the complex, involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto Market Street. The ground floor, which was rusticated, featured an elliptical opening with a keystone, which provided access to the market hall and was flanked by two sash windows. The first floor was fenestrated by sash windows with brackets supporting cornices; these windows were flanked by pilasters supporting an entablature, a modillioned cornice and a balustrade.[1] Internally, the principal room was the assembly room on the first floor, which became the local venue for both petty session hearings and county court hearings.[8] In October 1859, it was also consecrated as the home of the local freemasons' lodge in the presence of the Provincial Grand Master, Earl Howe.[9] The building was described in Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer as a "noble edifice".[10] The other main part of the complex, the market hall, extended back for 14 bays behind the town hall.[2]
Following a significant increase in population, largely associated with the leather working industry, the area became an urban district with the town hall as its headquarters in 1894.[11] The town hall then continued to serve as the meeting place of the urban district council[12] and as a local venue for civic events[13] for much of the 20th century, but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged North West Leicestershire District Council was formed in 1974.[14] The town hall was subsequently converted for retail use with the first floor room later becoming the showroom of a picture framing business.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c Historic England. "Town Hall (1073608)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ a b Historic England. "Market Hall (1361590)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "Accounts and Papers". House of Lords. 1849.
- ^ Historic England. "50 Market Street (1361572)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "Ashby-de-la-Zouch". Kelly's Directory of Leicestershire & Rutland. 1899.
- ^ "Ashby-de-la-Zouch Conservation Area Appraisal and study" (PDF). North West Leicestershire District Council. 1 April 2001. p. 19. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "Ashby-de-la-Zouch". The English Cyclopaedia. 1869. p. 858.
- ^ Statute law repeals nineteenth report, draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill. Law Commission. 2012. ISBN 9780101833028.
- ^ "Leicestershire: Consecration of the Ferrars and Ivanhoe Lodge, Ashby-de-la-Zouch (No. 1081)". Freemasons Magazine and Masonic Mirror. 15 October 1859.
- ^ Wilson, John M. (1872). "The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales". A. Fullarton & Co.
- ^ "Ashby-de-la-Zouche UD". Vision of Britain. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
- ^ "No. 40597". The London Gazette. 30 September 1955. p. 5495.
- ^ Butt, Stephen (2012). Ashby-de-la-Zouch Through Time. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1445626697.
- ^ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
- ^ "Ashby Picture Framing and Gallery Art". Ashby Market. Retrieved 10 February 2022.