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THE TOWN HALL

THE TOWN HALL, CASTLE CIRCUS

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

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1208247
Date first listed:: 10-Jan-1975
List Entry Name:: THE TOWN HALL
Statutory Address:: THE TOWN HALL, CASTLE CIRCUS

User submitted image — Uploaded by David Lovell This photo may not represent the current condition of the site
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Date:: 2004-03-08
Reference:: IOE01/11858/27
Rights:: © Mr Ben White. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1208247
Date first listed:: 10-Jan-1975
List Entry Name:: THE TOWN HALL
Statutory Address 1:: THE TOWN HALL, CASTLE CIRCUS
Statutory Address 2:: THE TOWN HALL, LYMINGTON ROAD

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: THE TOWN HALL, CASTLE CIRCUS
Statutory Address:: THE TOWN HALL, LYMINGTON ROAD

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

District:: Torbay (Unitary Authority)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: SX 91374 64346

Details

TORQUAY

SX9164 CASTLE CIRCUS 885-1/14/59 (North West side) 10/01/75 The Town Hall

GV II

Town hall. 2 phases. First phase was the Carnegie Public Library, 1906-7, to the designs of Thomas Davison of London; contractor RE Narracott of Stoke Gabriel. Second phase of Town Hall with committee rooms etc, 1910-11; same architect, contractor R Wilkins of Bristol (Ellis). Snecked local grey limestone with freestone dressings; slate roof behind parapet; stacks with stone shafts with moulded cornices and multiple pots. Edwardian Baroque style. PLAN: Main block fronts Castle Circus with central entrance into stair hall with committee rooms above. Principal hall entered on the right return (Lymington Road); entrance into former Public Library on corner between Castle Circus and Union Street. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and basement; single storey hall. 3-stage clock tower over entrance. Almost symmetrical 1:5:1:5:1-bay front; centre and outer bays broken forward with rusticated quoins; basement masonry rusticated. Projecting cornice with dentil course below balustraded parapet. Central Doric porch with 3 columns at each front corner with an entablature with triglyphs and guttae. First-floor Diocletian stair window with swags of fruit. Ground-floor windows with Gibbs surrounds with triple keystones. First-floor windows with moulded architraves and alternating segmental-headed and gabled open pediments. Outer bays have round-headed eared niches containing tall windows with triple keystones. Left-hand window with stained glass; stone panels with appropriate texts over the niches. Clock tower has pedimented gabled base supporting a first stage with triple Ionic columns at the corners with an entablature. The 2 upper stages are open with angle pilasters and pinnacles with Baroque finials. The left (Union Road) elevation, the former library, has a domed semicircular entrance block, the first floor articulated with a blind Ionic colonnade with paired columns; square-headed doorway below. 4-window front to the left. The Lymington Road elevation has 3 irregular bays to the left in a similar style and, to the right, the entrance to the main hall which is 1:3:1 bays, the centre 3 recessed and divided by triple keystones and text panels above. The town hall basement is railed off with a good set of contemporary iron railings including vertical panels with scrollwork. Pair of fine coeval iron gates to the main porch incorporating roundels with armorial bearings surrounded by cartouche work. INTERIOR: Historic features include 2 flights of stairs rising from the entrance hall, the wells lined with local and Italian marbles; marble balustrade; coved plaster ceiling to first floor. Contemporary joinery includes elaborate committee room doors with overdoors. The Town Hall forms an important focus to the upper part of the town at Castle Circus. (Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Devon: London: 1952-1989: P.854).

Listing NGR: SX9137464346

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:: 390529
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: South Devon, (1952), 854
Pevsner, N , The Buildings of England: Devon North, (1952), 854

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.