Old Town Hall with Railings

The Old Town Hall, now used as meeting rooms, was originally built around 1774 and significantly restored and altered in 1896. It is constructed of Portland stone, some of which is ashlar, with a tile roof. The building is set into the slope to the south in Chapelhay Street, featuring a small bell turret and porch to the west.

The west front has a broad gable with saddle-back coping, set back from the small, square porch/turret, which has a saddle roof to a pediment over an arched bell opening. Below this is a two-light window covered by an added clock face, above a plank door in an arched opening with a chamfered surround and keystone. A flight of four stone steps leads to the door. The High Street front has two storeys and incorporates one-and-a-half three-light, chamfered stone mullion and transom windows at each level, with cast-iron 24-pane casements under a drip-mould, continuous to the three on the right. A sill band runs along the first floor. A pair of plank doors with a four-centred head are situated in the second bay, above a plaque displaying a castle and crenellations along with a coat of arms. Cast-iron gutters are present. The south side has plain walling, behind railings, and near the east end is a haunched gabled dormer with a three-light casement featuring diagonal panes, and a tall eaves stack. A panel above the main west door is inscribed: 'This town hall being restored AD 1896 Sir Henry Edwards presented the above clock to the inhabitants of the borough'. The interior was not inspected during the listing process.

Associated with the building is a triangular forecourt with cast-iron railings on each side; those on the right are raised on a retaining wall to Chapelhay Street, with seven bays featuring fluted standards to cappings and bands at two levels to diagonal rails. The forecourt is accessed by three stone steps. A town hall has existed on this site since the 16th century; a 1790 sketch by Buckler depicts ogee-headed windows. A print in the NMR shows the south side with two dormers and two stacks.