The Octagonal

The Octagonal is a concert hall of 1875, extended in the 20th century and restored in 1994, designed by Robert Ripon Duke. It stands on stone foundations and has a cast-iron, timber, and glass structure with a banded slate roof. The building is octagonal in plan and has a single tall storey with gabled entrance fronts to the north and south.

The south side features seven windows divided by tall square cast-iron columns with moulded capitals and bases. These window lights are arranged 1:2:3:2:1, with stone bases and three horizontal divisions, comprising 12 panes, 3 panes, and 12 panes, each with curved iron brackets at the eaves. The central section has glazed double doors and margin lights to the windows, topped with a broad glazed pediment featuring a tripartite fanlight and side lights. Two ornate iron scrolled brackets, supporting single lamps, are attached to the corners on the upper floor. The north entrance front is similar, though partially obscured by later alterations and additions. Other fronts have four windows, arranged 2:3:3:2, with matching glazing and dividing columns. Some fronts are obscured by earlier and later buildings. Ornate iron railings run along the remaining fronts. The slate roof is shallow-hipped, with a central octagonal dome featuring a single dormer window on each face; these have tripartite windows with round-headed central lights, margin lights, pilaster surrounds supporting an entablature with urns, and a central iron finial. The dome is topped with a cast-iron crown. Rainwater goods are inscribed with “R & J Rankin /Union Foundry /Liverpool”.

Inside, paired cast-iron columns, partly fluted with ornate capitals, support the central dome section. The roof line slopes on cast-iron ribs to the outer edges. Decoration includes ornate spandrels and trellises, with lunettes on the north and south sides. An inserted stage and ceiling obscure portions of the original structure.

The hall was built as part of the entertainment buildings on the north side of the Pavilion Gardens, which were donated to the town by the 7th Duke of Devonshire.