Former Town Hall

SU 8692 NE HIGH WYCOMBE QUEEN VICTORIA ROAD

1/10002 Former Town Hall

II

Former town hall, now part of entertainment centre. 1903-1904 by C E Bateman and Alfred Hale of Birmingham with stained glass to first floor front windows of 1911 by Arthur J Dix and Council Chamber panelled 1914-1918. Dated 1904 on rainwater heads. Facade of orange rubbed brick with white Portland stone outer bays, ground storey and dressings. Collyweston stone slate roof. Flanks, rear elevation and rear hall range in red brick. Hall with slate roof. Symmetrical Frontage Block of 7 bays in mannered 'Queen Anne' style. Central Ionic doorcase with attached columns, entablature with steep scrolled quarter pediments framing wrought iron segmental section balcony. Richly carved with acanthus, egg and dart and other motifs. "Town Hall" on frieze. Central five bays with ashlar faced ground floor with segmental headed architraved windows, shouldered architraves and keystones. Tall first floor windows with stone moulded architraves, keystones and dentilled cornices. Surmounted by modillion cornice above egg and dart frieze across all7 bays. Attic storey with paired casements in stone frames with stone mullions and shell 'keys'. Stone framed brick panels between. Slightly projecting outer bays all ashlared with blocked ground storey with corniced and architraved recesses, chanelled rusticated first floor with stone cross window with shouldered architrave and cornice. Attic storey with keyed round window flanked by panelled pilasters to broken segmental pediment, all richly carved with foliage and central cartouche. Steeply pitched hipped roof surmounted by clock turret with columns and an octagonal ogeed copper roofed open cupola. Left flank elevations plainer with chequer stone and brick band at main cornice level. Rear Hall Range of 6 bays with tall cross windows set in arched recesses. Slate roof and central cupola. Interior: First floor main front room (former council chamber) lavishly oak panelled, 1914-1918 [restored 1990-1992). Stained glass windows to front 1911 by Arthur J Dix, depicting Progress [central behind balcony) , and eminent Buckinghamshire residents, John Hampden, William Penn, Edmund Burke and Benjamin Disraeli. Entrance Hall has Tuscan columns. Wycombe Swan entertainment centre attached to rear of hall is not of special interest. [See BOE Buckinghamshire p387 .)

Listing NGR: SU8664992860