Eastbourne Town Hall

Details

EASTBOURNE GROVE ROAD TV6098 7/10006 Eastbourne Town Hall

II

Town Hall. Designed after a competition by the Birmingham architect W Tadman-Faulkes in 1880, foundation stone laid on October 9th 1884 and building opened on October 20th 1886. Clock by Gillett and Johnson installed in 1892. Free Renaissance style. An asymmetrical building in red brick with moulded brick decorations, Portland stone dressings and slate roof with 3 remaining brick chimneystacks. Two storeys and attics; 16 windows. Mainly mullioned and transomed casements. The principal feature of the building is the off-central 130 feet high clock tower in the 6th bay from the left. The bay projects with triple mullioned and transomed casement to first floor with Diocletian window above, flanked by moulded brick pilasters and surmounted by panelled parapet with stone obelisk-shaped finials. wooden double door and flight of steps to street. Stone portico with 4 stone piers, balustrade with attached high relief shield and 4 partially gadrooned urns was not part of the original design. The clock tower is of 2 stages, the lower with mullioned and transomed casement, the upper with paired round-headed opening. Four pedimented clock faces flanked by pilasters and elongated dome with finial. To the right of the clock tower is a wing of 2 storeys and attics 7 windows. This comprises alternate triple windows with pediments on ground floor and Diocletian windows to attic and single windows, divided by pilasters and with decorated aprons below ground floor. Three pedimented features with round-headed blank arches and flanked by stone urns conceal chimneystacks. Elaborate carved double doors in moulded architrave with rectangular fanlight and moulded cornice with blank shield to end bay on right. The right end terminates in a pavilion-like projection of 3 bays. this has a mansard roof with cast iron cage for flagpole and central round-headed pedimented feature to parapet. Central paired window, flanked by single windows with pediment to lower floor windows. Central doorcase, similar to other two. To the left of the clock tower is a wing of 2 storeys and attics 4 windows. The two central windows are triple mullioned and transomed windows, the rest double, with pediments to ground floor windows and aprons below. Pilasters between windows. Two central windows have pedimented dormers, end windows are oval. Left end terminates in pavilion-like projection of one bay. Attic floor is canted under mansard roof with mullioned and transomed window, first floor has 4-light oriel and there are 2 paired mullioned and transomed windows to the ground floor with aprons below. Pilasters at each end. Interior includes original Council Chamber with joinery including panelling at dado level. fielded above, strapwork design above this and guilloche panels and swags to cornice. Elaborate curved pediments to doorcases and dais with pilastered screen. The design for this building was so costly that the board referred the plans to Henry Currey. He voted for the prizewinning design which cost 40,000 pounds. (See "BOE Sussex" p487.)

Listing NGR: TV6071998809

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

293630

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, Nairn, I, The Buildings of England: Sussex, (1965), 487

End of official list entry

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