Old Town Hall With Railings

WEYMOUTH

SY6778NE HIGH STREET 873-1/23/180 (South side) 12/12/53 Old Town Hall, with railings (Formerly Listed as: HIGH STREET Weymouth Old Town Hall)

GV II

Former town hall, now meeting rooms. c1774, extensively restored and altered 1896. Portland stone, some ashlar, mainly squared and coursed, tile roof. EXTERIOR: a 2-storey structure set into the slope to the S in Chapelhay Street, with small bell turret and porch to the W. The broad-gabled W front, with saddle-back coping, is set back from the small square porch/turret with saddle roof to a pediment over arched bell opening. Below this a 2-light window is covered by an added clock face, above a plank door in an arched opening with chamfered surround and keystone. The door is on 4 stone steps. The High Street front is in 2 storeys, with 1+3 three-light chamfered stone mullion and transom windows at each level, with cast-iron 24-pane casements under a drip-mould, continuous to the 3 to the right, and sill band at first floor. In bay 2 is a pair of plank doors to a 4-centred head, above which is a plaque with a castle and crenellations plus a coat of arms. Cast-iron gutters. The S side has plain walling, behind railings, but near the E end is a haunched gabled face dormer with a 3-light casement with diagonal panes, and a lofty eaves stack. Over the main W door is a panel inscribed: 'This town hall being restored AD 1896 Sir Henry Edwards presented the above clock to the inhabitants of the borough'. INTERIOR: not inspected. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: in front of the building is a triangular forecourt with cast-iron railings to each side, those to the right raised on a retaining wall to Chapelhay Street, in 7 bays with fluted standards to cappings and bands at 2 levels to diagonal rails. This forecourt is approached by 3 stone steps. HISTORICAL NOTE: there was a town hall here from the C16, and Buckler's sketch of 1790 shows ogee-headed windows (RCHME); a print in the NMR shows the S side with 2 dormers and 2 stacks. (RCHME: Dorset, South-East: London: 1970-: 339).

Listing NGR: SY6763178632