The Town Hall

The Town Hall in Tiverton was built between 1862 and 1864 by H Lloyd of Bristol. It is constructed from grey freestone with sandstone dressings, featuring marble columns and ornamental slate roofs. The building is designed in an eclectic Free Renaissance style and has an asymmetrical plan.

The exterior consists of two storeys with a grand, richly detailed front elevation. To the right, there is a two-storey canted entrance bay that rises into a polygonal turret topped with a steep polygonal slated roof. A second, square turret is positioned at the extreme left, set back from the entrance, and has a simpler steep roof. Between these turrets, the front elevation steps back in two bays, each with semicircular corners, complemented by a similar bay to the right of the entrance, which creates a bow effect on the Angel Hill facade.

The entrance bay is marked by two tiers of marble columns with Corinthian capitals, topped by a segmental pediment at the first-floor level. The round-headed doorway features a carved head keystone, while the windows are round-headed with keystones and eared lugged architraves. The turret has paired round-headed windows with keystones and a central clock set beneath a round-headed arch. The bays to the left and right of the entrance are heavily rusticated, showcasing round-headed windows with keystones and eclectic detailing, including rusticated pilasters and a decorated parapet. The left-hand turret is adorned with rusticated corner pilasters and blind round-headed arches on both the first and second floors. Both turrets are topped with small platforms featuring decorated iron balustrades and weathervanes.

Inside, there is a considerable survival of original features, including the staircase. The architectural completion of the town hall attracted 60 entries, and the final cost of the building was £8,000. It is situated on a prominent corner site at the top of Angel Hill, adjacent to the Church of St George.