Corsham Town Hall is a municipal structure in the High Street, Corsham, Wiltshire, England. The structure, which serves as the meeting place of Corsham Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.[1]
The building was commissioned by the lord of the manor and former member of parliament, Paul Methuen as a combined market hall and courthouse.[2] It was designed in the neoclassical style, built in ashlar stone and was completed in 1784.[2][3] The building was arcaded on the ground floor, so that markets could be held, with a small attic above.[1] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing onto the High Street; the central section of three bays, which slightly projected forward, featured a pediment with the coat of arms of the Methuen family in the tympanum.[1] The outer bays were surmounted at roof level by a cornice and a balustrade.[1]
Civic leaders decided to increase the capacity of the building by adding an extra floor, to a design by William Harris Bromley of Corsham, in 1882. As enlarged, the central bay featured a doorway with a fanlight flanked by brackets supporting a stone balcony. The other bays on the ground floor and the bays on the first floor were fenestrated with sash windows, while, at roof level, the original central pediment, cornice and parapet were all re-used in the design of the enlarged structure.[1] Internally, the principal rooms were the main hall and the council chamber.[4]
Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1894, Corsham exercised its right as a civil parish[5] to form a town council: the first meeting took place in the town hall under the chairmanship of the member of parliament, George Fuller, in January 1895.[6] In 1897, the balcony was enhanced by the addition of an arched stone frame containing a medallion bearing a relief portrait of Queen Victoria to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee.[1]
At the start of the First World War, the town hall was used as a recruitment post for service personnel before they undertook basic training and were then posted to the Western Front.[7] It went on to become a home for Belgian refugees before becoming a Voluntary Aid Detachment hospital in October 1914.[8][9] It provided care for some 875 wounded service personnel during the war before closing in August 1919.[8][10]
The town hall continued to serve as the main civic venue for the town throughout the 20th century and, after the new unitary authority, Wiltshire Council, was established in April 2009, it became the meeting place for the Corsham Area Board of the council.[11] The paralympic swimmer, Stephanie Millward, who learnt to swim in the baths in the town, became the first person to be awarded the Freedom of the Town of Corsham when she received the honour at the town hall on 2 March 2013.[12][13]
^ abLewis, Samuel (1848). "'Corfe-Castle - Corstone', in A Topographical Dictionary of England". London: British History Online. pp. 685–693. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (2002). Wiltshire (Buildings of England Series). Yale University Press. p. 195. ISBN978-0300096590.
^"Corsham Town Hall". Guides for brides. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^"Corsham CP". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^"Corsham Town Council has organised events and activities for its 125th anniversary". Gazette and Herald. 5 March 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^"Corsham Town Hall goes back to 1914 to remember WW1 outbreak". BBC. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^ ab"World War I Hospital: Corsham Town Hall". Corsham Civic Society. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^Crawford, T. S. (2012). Wiltshire and the Great War: Training the Empire's Soldiers. Crowood Press. ISBN978-1847973559.
^"Corsham Blue Heritage Trail" (PDF). Corsham Heritage Trials Project. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^"Corsham Area Board". Wiltshire Council. 14 October 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^. ITV. 2 March 2013. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
^"Paralympian Millward honoured". 2 March 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2021.
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May 05, 2024
corsham, town, hall, municipal, structure, high, street, corsham, wiltshire, england, structure, which, serves, meeting, place, corsham, town, council, grade, listed, building, locationhigh, street, corshamcoordinates51, 4341, 1846, 4341, 1846built1882architec. Corsham Town Hall is a municipal structure in the High Street Corsham Wiltshire England The structure which serves as the meeting place of Corsham Town Council is a Grade II listed building 1 Corsham Town HallCorsham Town HallLocationHigh Street CorshamCoordinates51 26 03 N 2 11 05 W 51 4341 N 2 1846 W 51 4341 2 1846Built1882ArchitectWilliam Harris BromleyArchitectural style s Neoclassical styleListed Building Grade IIOfficial nameTown HallDesignated20 December 1960Reference no 1284062Shown in WiltshireHistory editThe building was commissioned by the lord of the manor and former member of parliament Paul Methuen as a combined market hall and courthouse 2 It was designed in the neoclassical style built in ashlar stone and was completed in 1784 2 3 The building was arcaded on the ground floor so that markets could be held with a small attic above 1 The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing onto the High Street the central section of three bays which slightly projected forward featured a pediment with the coat of arms of the Methuen family in the tympanum 1 The outer bays were surmounted at roof level by a cornice and a balustrade 1 Civic leaders decided to increase the capacity of the building by adding an extra floor to a design by William Harris Bromley of Corsham in 1882 As enlarged the central bay featured a doorway with a fanlight flanked by brackets supporting a stone balcony The other bays on the ground floor and the bays on the first floor were fenestrated with sash windows while at roof level the original central pediment cornice and parapet were all re used in the design of the enlarged structure 1 Internally the principal rooms were the main hall and the council chamber 4 Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1894 Corsham exercised its right as a civil parish 5 to form a town council the first meeting took place in the town hall under the chairmanship of the member of parliament George Fuller in January 1895 6 In 1897 the balcony was enhanced by the addition of an arched stone frame containing a medallion bearing a relief portrait of Queen Victoria to commemorate her Diamond Jubilee 1 At the start of the First World War the town hall was used as a recruitment post for service personnel before they undertook basic training and were then posted to the Western Front 7 It went on to become a home for Belgian refugees before becoming a Voluntary Aid Detachment hospital in October 1914 8 9 It provided care for some 875 wounded service personnel during the war before closing in August 1919 8 10 The town hall continued to serve as the main civic venue for the town throughout the 20th century and after the new unitary authority Wiltshire Council was established in April 2009 it became the meeting place for the Corsham Area Board of the council 11 The paralympic swimmer Stephanie Millward who learnt to swim in the baths in the town became the first person to be awarded the Freedom of the Town of Corsham when she received the honour at the town hall on 2 March 2013 12 13 References edit a b c d e f Historic England Town Hall 1284062 National Heritage List for England Retrieved 11 September 2021 a b Lewis Samuel 1848 Corfe Castle Corstone in A Topographical Dictionary of England London British History Online pp 685 693 Retrieved 11 September 2021 Pevsner Nikolaus Cherry Bridget 2002 Wiltshire Buildings of England Series Yale University Press p 195 ISBN 978 0300096590 Corsham Town Hall Guides for brides Retrieved 11 September 2021 Corsham CP Vision of Britain Retrieved 11 September 2021 Corsham Town Council has organised events and activities for its 125th anniversary Gazette and Herald 5 March 2020 Retrieved 11 September 2021 Corsham Town Hall goes back to 1914 to remember WW1 outbreak BBC 20 August 2014 Retrieved 11 September 2021 a b World War I Hospital Corsham Town Hall Corsham Civic Society Retrieved 11 September 2021 Crawford T S 2012 Wiltshire and the Great War Training the Empire s Soldiers Crowood Press ISBN 978 1847973559 Corsham Blue Heritage Trail PDF Corsham Heritage Trials Project Retrieved 11 September 2021 Corsham Area Board Wiltshire Council 14 October 2021 Retrieved 11 September 2021 Honour for Wiltshire paralympian ITV 2 March 2013 Archived from the original on 17 August 2016 Retrieved 11 September 2021 Paralympian Millward honoured 2 March 2013 Retrieved 11 September 2021 nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Corsham Town Hall Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Corsham Town Hall amp oldid 1185219704, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
