Old Guildhall

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1004513
Date first listed:: 30-Aug-1938

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Scheduled Monument
List Entry Number:: 1004513
Date first listed:: 30-Aug-1938

Location

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:: Cornwall (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Looe
National Grid Reference:: SX 25586 53212

Summary

Tudor guildhall known as the Old Guildhall in Looe.

Reasons for Designation

Guildhalls were erected by the leading merchants and members of various craft guilds within towns and cities in order for members to hold discussions and various social and economic meetings related to the running of markets, apprenticeships and other administrative necessities such as the discussion of charters, rights and taxation. They are often sumptuous buildings and were built to reflect the wealth, affluence and importance of great wealth generated through trade and commercial enterprise and frequently contain the best innovations of new design, technology and fashion at the time. The Tudor guildhall known as the Old Guildhall in Looe, survives well and contains both original features and later modifications in design and technological improvement representing the growing influence, wealth and importance of merchants and craftsmen through time.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 2 December 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes a Tudor guildhall situated on Middle Market Street in Looe. The guildhall survives as a rectangular stone built two storied slate roofed structure with an external roofed staircase which retains many of its original external and interior features including, doors, canopied plaster ceilings, joists, trusses, collars, purlins, lintels, corbels, panelling, an 18th century magistrates bench and window frames. It is currently used as a museum. The building dates originally to the 16th century, was slightly remodelled in the 17th century and has later additions.

The Old Guildhall is listed at Grade II*.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: CO 274
Legacy System:: RSM - OCN

Legal

This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.