Bognor Regis Town Hall

BOGNOR REGIS

745/0/10041 CLARENCE ROAD 24-JAN-03 Bognor Regis Town Hall

II

Town hall. Designed in 1929 by Charles Cowles-Voysey in neo-Georgian style; detailing by John Bower. Builder H W Seymour. Symmetrical splayed design with central spur to rear in yellow Flemish bond brickwork with brown brick and stone dressings and hipped pantiled roof with elaborate central wooden clock faceand cupola with copper dome. Three storeys; nine windows to front, two to sides, thirteen to rear.

EXTERIOR: One of the principal features is the central wooden clock tower which has a clock face with curved pediment over, four Roman Doric columns, copper dome and finial. North or entrance front has 16-pane sashes to second floor with moulded stone band below. Ground and first floor windows are 20-pane sashes with horns. Central first floor French windows with cornice and brackets on shell stops opening out on to balcony above three bay portico with square piers, stone capitals and frieze. Original double doors with four vertical panels each. Foundation stones on each side of door. Splayed side elevations have two 16-pane sashes to second floor, French windows to first floor opening on to balcony with cement balustrading on brackets and 20-pane window to ground floor. South front has similar treatment of windows and cornices but there is a central projection of two storeys three windows containing the Council Chamber on first floor, a tall chimney and one storey section at the end. Small late C20 flat-roofed extension to east.

INTERIOR: Entrance hall has central Imperial staircase for the use of council members with cast iron balustrading with scrollwork and column newel, coffered ceiling and pilasters. First floor Council Chamber has oak panelling, two oak piers and two oak double doors with circular glazed apertures. Sides have two staircases with plainer cast iron balustrading for the use of council officers.

Included as a well-planned and well-detailed example of a small town hall of the inter-war period, by the leading exponent of the genre.

Pevsner /Nairn "Buildings of England: Sussex" p108. Information from the late John Brandon-Jones.