Assembly Rooms

Assembly Rooms, constructed between 1776 and 1778, extended in 1817 by William Newham.

MATERIALS: the building has pantile roof coverings and red brick walls, with stucco to the 1817 extension.

PLAN: the building is roughly rectangular on plan, facing south-east to Market Place.

EXTERIOR: the Assembly Rooms is a single-storey building with a hipped pantile roof to the 1770s range (accessed from the south-west), and a shallow, pitched pantile roof to the 1817 range (accessed from the south-east). The 1770s range is constructed of red brick laid in Flemish bond; the central three bays originally broke forward and were rebuilt in the 1950s, while the outer bays retain original brickwork and a dentil eaves course. This elevation features a central double door with six panels in four parts, and five bays of windows over. The windows have gauged skewback arches, stone sills and six-over-six timber sash windows without horns; those to the centre 3 bays have segmental arches. The south-east front, also single storey in height, was added in 1817 and is five bays wide with a plain parapet and stucco walls. The north-east and south-west gables are inflex-arched, with an urnlike chimney pot to their centre. The rightmost bay of the south-east elevation has a C20 double door with eight panels under a five-vaned fanlight and within a rusticated arch. The four left bays have late-C19 two-light casements within early-C19 moulded surrounds with hoods.

INTERIOR: The south door leads to a wide entrance passageway and to a reception room at right angles. There are three doorways with lugged surrounds, and the south windows also have lugged internal surrounds. There is a suspended C20 ceiling. Three folding doors lead to the main assembly room, which is lit by the five west windows, which have arched internal surrounds. The main assembly room also has a suspended C20 ceiling and a gallery at the north end.