{{Short description|Municipal building in London, England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Use British English|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox historic site | name =Ealing Town Hall | native_name = | image =Ealing Town Hall, New Broadway - geograph.org.uk - 18244.jpg | caption =Ealing Town Hall | locmapin =United Kingdom London Ealing | map_caption =Shown in Ealing | coordinates = {{coord |51.5130|N|0.3076|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}} | location =Ealing, London, England | area = | built =1888 | architect = Charles Jones | architecture =Gothic Revival style | governing_body = | website= | designation1 =Grade II Listed Building | designation1_offname = | designation1_date =19 January 1981 | designation1_number =1358791 }} '''Ealing Town Hall''' is a municipal building in New Broadway, Ealing, London, England. It is a Grade II listed building.<ref name=nhle>{{NHLE|desc=Ealing Town Hall|num=1358791|access-date=28 April 2020}}</ref>
==History== The building was commissioned to replace the old town hall, designed by the town surveyor, Charles Jones, in The Mall.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/jonesc/1.html|title=Former Town Hall, Ealing|publisher=Victorian Web|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> The site selected for the new building was open land owned by the Wood family, who were major landowners in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/517426/180753/12/100911|title=Ordnance Survey Map|year=1875|access-date=25 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201131/historic_buildings/799/town_halls/2|title=Ealing Town Hall|publisher=London Borough of Ealing|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref>
The new building, which was also designed by Charles Jones and in the same style but on a much larger scale, was built by Hugh Knight and officially opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 15 December 1888.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.victorianweb.org/art/architecture/jonesc/2.html|title=Ealing Town Hall|publisher=Victorian Web|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage with eleven bays facing onto New Broadway; the central section featured a double round arched doorway on the ground floor; there were oriel windows on the first and second floors and a gable above flanked by turrets; the design also featured an off-centre clock tower with lancet windows and a spire.<ref name=he>{{cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/research/results/reports/7096/LONDON'STOWNHALLS|title=London's Town Halls|page=50|publisher=Historic England|access-date=13 January 2023}}</ref> A public hall intended for hosting events such as dances, wedding receptions and political rallies, known as the Victoria Hall, was erected on the north east corner of the site.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201042/current_consultations/2376/victoria_hall_ealing_town_hall_consultation/1|title=Victoria Hall, Ealing Town Hall consultation|publisher=London Borough of Ealing|date= 9 February 2018|access-date=30 April 2020}}</ref> Internally, the principal room was the original council chamber on the first floor which was renamed the "Nelson Room" in the 1930s in memory of Sir Edward Montague Nelson, a former mayor.<ref name=he/>
The building was significantly extended to the east, with a new octagonally towered entrance, to the designs of Ealing architect<ref name="British architects book">{{cite book |last1=Felstead |first1=Alison |last2=Girouard |first2=Mark |last3=Franklin |first3=Jonathan |title=Directory of British Architects, 1834–1914 |date=2001 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=9780826455147 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GkThQYLb3ZUC&dq=Edward+Arthur+Fellowes+Prynne+collection&pg=PA417 |access-date=11 September 2021}}</ref> George Fellowes Prynne in 1930.<ref name=he/> Internally, the extension created a new council chamber and a mayor's parlour as well as a new public hall in the basement which became known as the "Queens Hall".<ref name=he/>
The building had been established as the offices of the local board of health and, after Ealing became an urban district in 1894, it became the new council offices.<ref name=he/> It went on to become headquarters of the Municipal Borough of Ealing in 1901 and continued to function as the local of seat of government when the enlarged London Borough of Ealing was formed in 1965.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1963/33/contents|title=Local Government Act 1963|publisher=Legislation.gov.uk|access-date=25 April 2020}}</ref>
A large "spanner-shaped" building designed by Sidney Kaye, Eric Firmin & Partners was erected to the west of the town hall in 1983 as additional accommodation for council officers and their departments. The new building was initially called the "Civic Centre".<ref name=he/> It was renamed "Perceval House" in 1990 after Spencer Perceval, Prime Minister from 1809 until his assassination in 1812, who had lived in Elm Grove in Ealing.<ref name=art>{{cite web|url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-right-honourable-spencer-perceval-17621812-178827|title=The Right Honourable Spencer Perceval (1762–1812)|publisher=Art UK|access-date=25 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Sign of the times |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/image-viewer?issue=BL%2F0004880%2F19900810&page=8 |access-date=22 May 2025 |work=Greenford and Northolt Gazette |date=10 August 1990 |page=8}}</ref>
In July 2016, in the context of large budget deficit and the need to reshape its services,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ealingnewsextra.co.uk/latest-news/ealing-council-december-budget/|title=Ealing Council begins to reshape services as it warns of difficult decisions ahead|date=4 December 2018|website=EalingNewsExtra.co.uk|publisher=Ealing Council|access-date=30 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190305000410/http://ealingnewsextra.co.uk/latest-news/ealing-council-december-budget/|archive-date=2019-03-05|url-status=usurped}}</ref> the council announced an agreement with a hotel developer to convert part of the Town Hall and the Victoria Hall into a boutique hotel.<ref name=CrownJewels>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ealingtoday.co.uk/default.asp?section=info&page=eatownhall004.htm|accessdate=2019-09-17|title=Council Accused of 'Selling Ealing's Crown Jewels'|website=EalingToday.co.uk |location=London|date=2016-07-12}}</ref> The development could also see a 28-storey tower block on the Perceval House site.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/ealing-council-perceval-house-headquarters-17724870|title=Ealing Council Perceval House headquarters redevelopment could include 28-storey tower block|date=10 February 2020|publisher=My London News|access-date=25 April 2020}}</ref>
After a health and safety assessment identified concerns over the condition of the town hall, the council relocated its meetings to Perceval House in October 2023.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://ealing.news/ealing-council/breaking-news-ealing-council-to-shut-historic-ealing-town-hall-from-october-2023-due-to-health-and-safety-concerns/|title=Ealing Council shutting historic Ealing Town Hall from October 2023 and moving council meetings and Mayor over to Perceval House|date=5 September 2023|newspaper=Ealing News|access-date=15 January 2023}}</ref>
Works of art in the town hall include a portrait of King Edward VII by Henry John Hudson,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/edward-vii-18411910-178793|title=Edward VII (1841–1910)|first=Henry John|last=Hudson|publisher=Art UK|access-date=25 April 2020}}</ref> a portrait of Spencer Perceval by an unknown artist<ref name=art/> and a portrait of Sir Edward Montague Nelson by Barnett Samuel Marks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/sir-edward-montague-nelson-esq-18411919-jp-cc-178798|title=Sir Edward Montague Nelson, Esq. (1841–1919)|first=Barnett Samuel|last=Marks|publisher=Art UK|access-date=25 April 2020}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Government buildings completed in 1888 Category:City and town halls in London Category:Grade II listed buildings in the London Borough of Ealing