Town Hall

The Town Hall, built in 1786, is an important architectural work by William Tyler, who was one of the original 40 members of the Royal Academy and also designed the Dorset County Gaol. The mason for the project was James Hamilton, known for his work on St Mary's Church in Weymouth, the statue of George III on the Esplanade, and the obelisk at Frampton. The building is constructed of red brick with an ashlar plinth, strings, coping, and parapet coping. It has two storeys and features a T-shaped plan. The ground floor is arcaded on the north and west sides, with the central three bays projecting forward. These bays have a rusticated ground floor and are topped with a pediment that includes an oculus in the tympanum. The façade features three sash windows with glazing bars, with the central window being Venetian and adorned with a sculpted apron displaying the Town Arms, flanked by swags. Each side has one sash window with glazing bars, accompanied by rubbed brick concave niches. A slate-hung clock turret is present, along with a domed lantern supported by three slender Tuscan columns. Additionally, there is a 19th-century shell-shaped fountain located on the west side.