Summary
A mid-C19 town hall, altered and repurposed as a bank in the early-C20
History
The historic core of Hinckley centres around The Borough and its connecting streets, with the Church of St Mary to the south-east. A settlement existed in Hinckley during Roman times, but the origins of today's town are a Saxon village called Hinca's Leah. In the C12 a priory and a Norman motte-and-bailey castle were built in the village, and by the C13 it had grown into a small market town, centred around The Borough, with Stockwell Head and Castle Street stretching to the east and Coventry Street or Duck Paddle Street (now Regent Street) to the south-west. In 1640 the first stocking frame was brought to Hinckley, marking the beginning of the stocking weaving industry which was to dominate the town for over two hundred years. Hinckley prospered on the success of this industry, and many of the surviving buildings of the historic core date to the rebuilding and modernising of the town centre carried out in the C17 and C18. The arrival of the South Leicestershire Railway in 1862 allowed the stocking industry to expand with steam-powered frames and large factories, and the corresponding prosperity allowed the town to expand significantly beyond its historic core. The wider town is now characterised by the C19 houses and civic architecture erected during this time of expansion.
The island area known as The Borough, also historically known as Round Hill, was under the ownership of the town itself and formed the civic centre of Hinckley for many years. It was the location of the town jail, schoolhouse, market house, Guild Hall and old town hall. The old town hall was a former inn building sometimes referred to as The Bull, which had a butchery or shambles below it. It was described as ‘in ruins’ in 1787, when plans were underway for its replacement. The old town hall and Guild Hall burned down in 1800. A new town hall was built between 1802 and 1806. It was a modest building and more closely resembled a large house than a civic structure. The new town hall was seriously damaged by fire in 1827, and subsequently restored. By 1862 this new town hall had been converted into a public house known variously as the Town Hall Arms, the Town Hall Tavern or the Town Hall Vaults. It continued in this use until its purchase at auction by Barclays Bank in 1920. The former town hall was refurbished by Barclays as a bank and opened in 1922. These refurbishment works included the addition of a strong room and storage in the basement; adding a banking hall with oak fittings and manager’s room at ground floor and offices at first floor. The ground-floor window glazing has an early C20 appearance and may date to this refurbishment.
Details
A mid-C19 town hall, altered and repurposed as a bank in the early-C20
MATERIALS: red brick with stucco details. Hipped L-shaped slate roof.
PLAN: roughly rectangular on plan with its principal elevation facing east.
EXTERIOR: the south (Market Place) elevation is of two bays, with the left-hand bay projecting slightly forwards. The corners of the upper floors have stucco quoins. The ground floor is decorated with banded stucco above a plain stucco plinth, with string courses at the level of the windows sills and window headers. Above each of the ground-floor windows is a slim semi-circular arch with a central keystone incised with a flower motif. The arches themselves have been infilled and stuccoed. The ground-floor windows have narrow glazing bars arranged in three rows, with the lowest row one large pane flanked with two narrow panes, and six panes above. The right-hand window has a simply decorated cornice inset into the window opening above the panes. At first floor level the left-hand window is smaller than the right, but both have a stucco ornament above them with angled headers and a central keystone. The left-hand window contains two small two-over-two sashes with a central mullion, the right-hand window contains a uPVC window with applied glazing bars. At second floor there are a pair of small two-over-two windows on the left-hand side, and a blind window with sill on the right.
The east (The Borough) elevation is of five bays, in an even, symmetrical design. As with the south elevation the corners of the upper floors have stucco quoins, and the ground floor is decorated with banded stucco above a plain stucco above a plain stucco plinth. The left-hand bay contains the entrance door which has a simple timber doorcase with entablature. All of the openings have semi-circular arches with a central keystone incised with a flower motif. At first floor level five, evenly-spaced, square-headed windows each have stucco ornament with angled headers and central keystones. All of the windows have been replaced. At second floor level there are no windows on the east elevation. Instead, there is an even row of five blind recesses which reach up to the eaves of the roof. Four pattress plates (three at ground level and one in line with the upper windows) are sited on the east elevation.
