Gloucester Guildhall
Gloucester Guildhall | |
---|---|
![]() Gloucester Guildhall | |
Location | Eastgate Street, Gloucester, Gloucestershire |
Coordinates | 51°51′53″N 2°14′48″W / 51.8646°N 2.2468°WCoordinates: 51°51′53″N 2°14′48″W / 51.8646°N 2.2468°W |
Built | 1892 |
Architect | George H. Hunt |
Architectural style(s) | French Renaissance style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Designated | 12 March 1973 |
Reference no. | 1271663 |
Gloucester Guildhall is a former municipal building in Eastgate Street, Gloucester, which is now used as a arts and theatre venue. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]
History
The original town hall, known as "the Tolsey" meaning "town hall", was a 15th century building located on the corner of Westgate Street and Southgate Street.[2] It was rebuilt in the neo-classical style in 1751 but was inadequate for the needs of civic leaders by the late 19th century.[2]
The site chosen for the new building had previously been occupied by Sir Thomas Rich's house, the initial home of Sir Thomas Rich's School,[3] but had become vacant when the school moved to the site of the former Crypt School in Barton Street in 1889.[4]
The new building, which was designed by George H. Hunt in the French Renaissance style, was completed in 1892.[1] The exterior design involved five bays with an entrance flanked by pilasters on the ground floor; there were five french doors with fanlights interspersed by four Ionic order pilasters together with a central stone balcony on the first floor; there were three circular windows with a moulded architrave above them on the second floor and vases were erected at roof level.[1] Internally, the principal rooms on the first floor were the main hall and the council chamber.[1] Works of art contained in the guildhall included a silver gilt roundel dated 1563 bearing the arms of Sir Thomas Bell, a former mayor of Gloucester.[5]
King Edward VII visited the guildhall on 23 June 1909[6] before departing for the Royal Agricultural Show at the Oxlease Showground on Alney Island.[7] The guildhall also received a visit by the Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by Duke of Edinburgh, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the granting of the city's charter by King Henry II, on 3 May 1955.[8][9]
For much of the 20th century the guildhall was the meeting place of the county borough of Gloucester; it continued to be the local seat of government following the formation of the enlarged Gloucester City Council in 1974.[10] However, in 1985 the council decided to move their meeting place to a converted warehouse at Gloucester Docks.[2]
The ground floor was converted into offices in 1987; a lease on the floor was taken by a branch of Cheltenham & Gloucester which, in September 2013, evolved into a branch of TSB Bank.[11] Meanwhile, on the upper floors, an arts centre was established; the council chamber was converted into a cinema with capacity to seat 100 people in 1991, while the main hall, which has a capacity to seat 400 people, is still available for public use.[1][12] The rock band, EMF, recorded a video of their first single, "Unbelievable", which reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart,[13] in the main hall one night in 1990.[14]
References
- ^ a b c d e Historic England. "Guildhall, Gloucester (1271663)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ a b c Herbert, N M (1988). "'Gloucester: Public buildings', in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 4, the City of Gloucester". London: British History Online. pp. 248–251. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ "About". Gloucester Guildhall. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ Herbert, N M (1988). "'Gloucester: Education', in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 4, the City of Gloucester". London: British History Online. pp. 335–350. Archived from the original on 24 August 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
- ^ Herbert, N M (1988). "'Gloucester: Arms, seals, insignia and plate', in A History of the County of Gloucester: Volume 4, the City of Gloucester". London: British History Online. pp. 368–371. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Evans, Jill (2013). The Gloucester Book of Days. The History Press. ISBN 978-0752465166.
- ^ "More photos of Gloucester in the 1900s". Visit Gloucestershire. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ "Royal Visit to Gloucester". British Movietone. 3 May 1955. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
- ^ "The Queen visits Gloucester". Visit Gloucester. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
- ^ "TSB Bank". Bank opening times. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- ^ Rich, Johnny (2001). Push Guide to Which University. The Stationery Office. p. 227. ISBN 978-0117028340.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 175. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "About Gloucester Guildhall". Explore Gloucester. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- Articles with short description
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- Use dmy dates from April 2022
- Use British English from April 2022
- Coordinates not on Wikidata
- Grade II listed buildings in Gloucestershire
- Buildings and structures in Gloucester
- City and town halls in Gloucestershire
- Government buildings completed in 1892