Wymondham Town Hall is a municipal building in Middleton Street in Wymondham, a town in Norfolk, in England. The building, which is currently vacant and is being actively marketed for sale, is a Grade II listed building.[1]
| Wymondham Town Hall | |
|---|---|
 The building in 2016 | |
| Location | Middleton Street, Wymondham |
| Coordinates | 52°34′16″N 1°06′38″E / 52.5712°N 1.1105°E |
| Built | c.1820 |
| Architectural style(s) | Neoclassical style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Town hall |
| Designated | 29 December 1950 |
| Reference no. | 1196687 |
  Shown in Norfolk | |
History
editThe first town hall was a medieval structure which burnt down when a major fire swept through the town on 11 June 1615.[2] It was replaced by a second town hall, which was deemed inadequate by the early 19th century and needed to be replaced. Like the earlier buildings, the current building was purpose-built as a town hall. It was designed in the neoclassical style, built in red brick and was completed in about 1820. The architectural historian, Nikolaus Pevsner, noted that, despite its municipal purpose, it resembled a large town house.[3]
After the local rural sanitary authority was succeeded by Wymondham Urban District Council in 1894,[4] the new civic leaders decided to establish their offices and meeting place within the town hall. The building continued to serve in that capacity for much of the 20th century,[5] but ceased to be the local seat of government when South Norfolk District Council was formed at Farthing Green House in Loddon in 1974.[6][7] It was subsequently occupied by Wymondham Town Council, which leased the building from South Norfolk District Council.[8] After links were developed with Votice in the 1990s, local dignitaries from the Czech Republic visited Wymondham and a plaque was placed on the front of the building to commemorate the relationship.[9]
The town council increasingly found the town hall expensive and inefficient to operate and consequently re-located to a new building on its own land at Ketts Park in spring 2020.[10][11] The town hall was then deemed surplus to requirements and South Norfolk District Council put up it for auction in 2024, with a guide price of £250,000 to £300,000.[12][13][14]
Architecture
editThe town hall is a three-storey building, five bays wide. It is built of brick and has a roof of black-glazed pantiles. There is a central doorway, with a wood panelled doorcase, and there is a semi-circular fanlight above the door. The other bays on the ground floor and all the bays on the first and second floors are fenestrated with sash windows. At roof level, there is a modillioned cornice. Inside, there is a staircase with stick balusters and a ramped handrail, while the council chamber has a Regency fire surround. It was grade II listed in 1950.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Historic England. "Town hall (1196687)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Wilson, John (November 2013). A fier devised of the divell: the great fire of Wymondham 1615. Wymondham, Norfolk: Wymondham Heritage Society. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-901553-10-9. OCLC 938789222.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus; Wilson, Bill (2002). Norfolk 2: North-west and South. Yale University Press. p. 131. ISBN 978-0300096576.
- ^ "Wymondham UD". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "No. 45167". The London Gazette. 7 August 1970. p. 8798.
- ^ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
- ^ "No. 47192". The London Gazette. 7 April 1977. p. 4815.
- ^ "Council Offices progress" (PDF). About Wymondham. No. 92. Spring 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Brass plaque on the front of the building to the left of the doorway.
- ^ "Plans for £2m town council offices given the go ahead". Eastern Daily News. 12 November 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "New council offices shape up on schedule" (PDF). About Wymondham. Autumn 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ Redwood, Francis (22 April 2024). "Former Wymondham Town Hall up for auction with Auction House". Norwich Evening News. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Unlocking History: The Renovation Opportunity of Wymondham Town Hall". The Auction House. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Wymondham Town Hall hits the market offering chance to own historic Grade II-listed Norfolk building". National World. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.