Devizes Town Hall

{{Short description|Municipal building in Devizes, Wiltshire, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox historic site | name = Devizes Town Hall | native_name = | image = Town Hall (geograph 3629131).jpg | caption = The current town hall in St John's Street, completed in 1808 | locmapin = Wiltshire | map_caption = Shown in Wiltshire | coordinates = {{coord|51.3510|N|1.9946|W|type:landmark_region:GB-WIL|display=inline,title}} | location = St John's Street, Devizes, Wiltshire, England | area = | built =1808 | architect = Thomas Baldwin | architecture = Neoclassical style | designation1 = Grade II* Listed Building | designation1_offname = Town Hall | designation1_date = 9 April 1954 | designation1_number = 1262331 | website= }} '''Devizes Town Hall''' is a municipal building in St John's Street in Devizes, Wiltshire, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Devizes Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building.<ref name=listed>{{NHLE|desc=Town Hall|num=1262331|access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref>

==History== ===Earlier municipal buildings=== thumb|left|The Yarn Hall in St John's Street, completed in 1575 The first municipal building in Devizes was a medieval structure in the New Port area, a district inside the outer bailey of Devizes Castle, completed in the mid-15th century.<ref name=bho>{{cite web|first1=A. P. |last1=Baggs|first2= D. A.|last2=Crowley|first3=Ralph B. |last3=Pugh|first4=Janet H. |last4=Stevenson |first5= Margaret|last5= Tomlinson|title= 'The borough of Devizes: Trade, agriculture and local government', in A History of the County of Wiltshire: Volume 10, ed. Elizabeth Crittall |location=London|year=1975|pages= 252–285|publisher= British History Online|url= http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol10/pp252-285 |access-date= 26 June 2021}}</ref> A second structure, a guildhall with an adjoining council house, was completed in the mid-16th century: this structure accommodated the courts and also provided storage for the town's archives.<ref name=bho/>

A third structure, a brick building in the centre of St John's Street known as the Yarn Hall, was completed 1575, rebuilt in 1616 and then remodelled in the neoclassical style in 1629.<ref name=bho/> The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing south down St John's Street; there was a colonnade with Tuscan order columns on the ground floor and the central bay featured a doorway which was flanked by full-height Corinthian order columns supporting a pediment.<ref name=bho/> This structure, which also accommodated the courts, was further augmented when a lock-up was incorporated into the basement in 1650.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/5069981.devizes-jail-pulls-in-the-crowds/ |title= Devizes jail pulls in the crowds|date=18 March 2010|newspaper=Gazette and Herald| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> The building became home to the cheese market in 1689 and was re-configured to accommodate a council chamber in 1735.<ref name=bho/>

A fourth structure, an ashlar stone building on the south side of Wine Street now known as the Old Town Hall, was designed by a Mr Lawrence in the neoclassical style and was completed in 1752.<ref name=bho/><ref name=old>{{NHLE|desc=The Old Town Hall|num= 1252446|access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> The building was largely used as a market hall: between 1785 and 1787 it served as an arsenal for the Royal Wiltshire Militia and, while the current structure was under construction, it was very briefly used as a venue for council meetings.<ref name=old/> It was then let out for commercial use in 1809 and sold in 1825.<ref name=bho/>

===The current town hall=== The current structure, an ashlar stone building in the centre of St John's Street, was built on the site of the old Yarn Hall and, although the old façade was completely demolished, the new work incorporated much of the interior of the old building. It was financed in part by donations from the local members of parliament, Joshua Smith and Thomas Estcourt.<ref name=bho/> The new structure was designed by Thomas Baldwin in the neoclassical style, built in ashlar stone at a cost of £6,416 and was officially opened with a grand ball on 2 November 1808.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=yS-gAAAAMAAJ |title=A History Military and Municipal of the Ancient Borough of the Devizes|first=Henry|last=Bull|publisher=Longman, Brown & Co|year=1859 |page=492}}</ref> The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing south down St John's Street; the central section of three bays formed a full-height curved bow. The ground floor, which was rusticated, featured round headed windows, while the first floor featured pedimented sash windows flanked by Ionic order columns supporting an entablature.<ref name=listed/> Internally, the ground floor continued to accommodate the cheese market while the first floor retained the council chamber and a large assembly room.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.devizesvenues.co.uk/devizes-town-hall/20-town-hall-virtual-tour |title=Town Hall Tour|publisher=Devizes Town Council| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> The re-construction also preserved the lock-up in the basement.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.prisonhistory.org/lockup/devizes-lock-up/ |title=Devizes Lock-up|publisher=Prison History|access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref>

After significant population growth, largely associated with the status of Devizes as a market town, the area became a municipal borough with the town hall as its headquarters in 1835.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10107544|title=Devizes MB|publisher=Vision of Britain|access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> The basement of the building was used as an air raid shelter in the Second World War<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/18840454.ghost-hunter-spends-night-devizes-lock-up-charity/ |title= Ghost hunter spends night in Devizes lock-up for charity|date=2 November 2020|newspaper=Gazette and Herald| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> and, after the war, the assembly hall was used as an events venue: performers included the beat band, The Merseybeats, in June 1966<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-merseys/1966/devizes-town-hall-devizes-england-4bcf2faa.html|title=The Merseys|publisher=Setlist| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> and the rock band, Status Quo, in December 1968.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/status-quo/1968/devizes-town-hall-devizes-england-43c0abb7.html |title=Status Quo|publisher=Setlist| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> The building continued to serve as the headquarters of Devizes Borough Council for much of the 20th century<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=45716|page=7911|date=30 June 1972}}</ref> but ceased to be the local seat of government after Kennet District Council was established at The Cedars in Bath Road in 1974.<ref>{{London Gazette | issue = 46391 | date = 1 November 1974 | page = 10518 | nolink = y }}</ref><ref>{{NHLE|desc=The Cedars|num= 1263761| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> The town hall subsequently became the offices and meeting place of Devizes Town Council.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cms.wiltshire.gov.uk/mgParishCouncilDetails.aspx?ID=322&LS=1 |title= Devizes Town Council|publisher=Wiltshire Council| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref>

Works of art in the town hall include portraits by Joshua Reynolds of King George III<ref>{{cite web|url= https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/george-iii-17381820-65179/search/venue:devizes-town-hall-3316-75745/page/1/view_as/grid |title= George III (1738–1820)|first=Joshua|last=Reynolds|publisher=Art UK| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> and of Queen Charlotte,<ref>{{cite web|url= https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/queen-charlotte-of-mecklenburg-strelitz-17441818-65180/search/venue:devizes-town-hall-3316-75745/page/2/view_as/grid|title=Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744–1818)|first=Joshua|last=Reynolds|publisher=Art UK| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> and portraits by Briton Rivière of Lord<ref>{{cite web|url= https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/lord-roundway-of-devizes-wiltshire-18801944-65181/search/venue:devizes-town-hall-3316-75745/page/2/view_as/grid|title= Lord Roundway of Devizes, Wiltshire (1880–1944)|first= Briton|last= Rivière |publisher=Art UK| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> and Lady Roundway of Roundway Park.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/lady-roundway-of-devizes-wiltshire-65182/search/venue:devizes-town-hall-3316-75745/page/2/view_as/grid |title=Lady Roundway of Devizes, Wiltshire|first= Briton|last= Rivière |publisher=Art UK| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> There is also a portrait by Thomas Phillips of the politician, Joshua Smith,<ref>{{cite web|url= https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/joshua-smith-of-erlestoke-65178/search/venue:devizes-town-hall-3316-75745/page/2/view_as/grid |title= Joshua Smith of Erlestoke|first= Thomas |last=Phillips|publisher=Art UK| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> and a portrait by Henry William Pickersgill of the politician, John Pearse.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/john-pearse-17591836-65177/search/venue:devizes-town-hall-3316-75745/page/2/view_as/grid |title= John Pearse (1759–1836)|first= Henry William |last=Pickersgill| publisher=Art UK| access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}} {{Commons category}}

Category:Georgian architecture in Wiltshire Category:Government buildings completed in 1808 Category:City and town halls in Wiltshire Town hall Category:Grade II* listed buildings in Wiltshire Category:Grade II* listed government buildings