The Old Town Hall (Welsh: Hen Neuadd y Dref Cricieth) is a municipal building on Castle Terrace in Criccieth, Gwynedd, Wales. The structure is currently used as a visitor centre.
| Old Town Hall | |
|---|---|
| Native name Hen Neuadd y Dref Cricieth (Welsh) | |
.jpg) The old town hall from the air in 2022 | |
| Location | Castle Terrace, Criccieth |
| Coordinates | 52°55′00″N 4°13′57″W / 52.9167°N 4.2326°W |
| Built | c.1795 |
| Architectural style(s) | Neoclassical style |
  Shown in Gwynedd | |
History
editThe building stands within the grounds of Criccieth Castle on a site which was occupied by a tithe barn in medieval times. The present structure was commissioned to accommodate the mayor, the two bailiffs and other officials of the borough and was originally referred to as the Guildhall. It was designed in the neoclassical style, built in rubble masonry and dates back to at least 1795.[1] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage facing northeast with two segmental headed openings to the left of a short gabled wing, which was projected forward, with a short blind wall to the right of it. Internally, the principal room was the main hall.[2]
By the mid-19th century borough officials were no longer being appointed. Part of the building was subsequently used as a school which, following the implementation of the Elementary Education Act 1870, was designated a Board School. An extension was erected to the rear to accommodate the custodian of the castle. Improvement commissioners were appointed to administer the town and to take over the borough's property, including the town hall, in 1870.[3][4] The borough was formally abolished under the Municipal Corporations Act 1883.[5]
The improvement commissioners were replaced by an urban district council in 1894. The council continued to meet in the town hall[6][7] until the Memorial Hall was completed in 1925.[8] A stone known as the Carreg Cam, which had been made available in medieval times so that people could mount their horses, was relocated from the town hall to the Memorial Hall shortly thereafter.[9] During the storm of 1927, residents from the area to the east of the castle, known as Abermarchnad, were allowed to use the town hall as a refuge.[10]
The building was subsequently used as a community events venue and, from 1963, it served a theatre known as Theatr y Gegin; the plays of the author and playwright, W. S. Jones, were first performed there.[11] In 1976, the theatre closed and it subsequently served as a venue for exhibitions and other local events.[12] Following an extensive programme of refurbishment works, which included the installation of inter-active displays, the building re-opened as a visitor centre in April 2017.[13][14][15]
References
edit- ^ Hogg, T. J. (6 August 1838). Municipal Corporations (England and Wales): Reports from the Commissioners Upon Certain Boroughs. House of Commons. p. 25.
- ^ "Criccieth – The Old Town Hall". People's Collection Wales. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "No. 23923". The London Gazette. 29 November 1872. pp. 5706–5705.
- ^ "Parliamentary Intelligence". The Times. 25 February 1873. p. 6.
- ^ "Municipal Corporations Act 1883". Legislation.co.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ Roads, Sanitary and Water Works. The Builder. 21 November 1908. p. 570. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
- ^ "No. 28509". The London Gazette. 30 June 1911. p. 4846.
- ^ "Memorial Hall (Cinema), Criccieth (416942)". Coflein. RCAHMW. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Carreg Cam feat stone, Criccieth". History Points. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Criccieth – The Great Storm of 1927". People's Collection Wales. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Obituary: W. S. Jones". The Independent. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ The Gerald of Wales 1188–1988. The Historian, Issues 17–24. 1987. p. 30.
Old Town Hall, Criccieth Castle: Gerald of Wales and the Welsh Princes
- ^ "Interactive visitor centre opens at Criccieth Castle". BBC News. 29 April 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "Latest technology brings history of Criccieth Castle to life". Deeside.com. 29 April 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ "This amazing footage shows how Criccieth Castle would have looked hundreds of years ago". Daily Post. 29 April 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2024.