Towcester Town Hall

After significant population growth during the early 19th century associated with the town's role as a coaching stop on Watling Street,[2] a turnpike road which had been paved by the engineer, Thomas Telford, local businessmen decided to form a company to develop a town hall and corn exchange: the site chosen was a prominent location in the market place which clearly defined its southern boundary.[3]

The foundation stone for the building was laid by the Earl of Pomfret, who lived at Easton Neston house, on 8 September 1865.[1] It was designed by T. H. Vernon in the Italianate style, built by J. Wheeler with ashlar stone and was completed in 1866.[4][5] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto Chantry Lane; the central bay, which slightly projected forward, featured a round headed doorway flanked by pilasters and brackets supporting a stone parapet; there were two small rounded headed sash windows separated by a colonette and flanked by pilasters on the first floor and a carved pediment above.[1] The outer bays featured two large round headed sash windows separated by pilasters on the ground floor and three small rounded headed windows separated by colonettes on the first floor.[1] At roof level there was a clock tower with a copper-clad belfry.[1] The clock was made by Arthur Garrett of Towcester.[6] Internally, the principal room was the public hall.[1]

After further growth and improved connections following the opening of Towcester railway station in April 1866,[7] the area was designated a rural district in 1894.[8] The building continued to serve as the headquarters of the local rural district council for much of the 20th century[9] and remained the local seat of government after the enlarged South Northamptonshire Council was formed in 1974.[10][11]

After South Northamptonshire Council decided to relocate to modern and more substantial promises nearby, the town hall became the responsibility of the parish council in 1983.[12] The parish council was superseded by Towcester Town Council which established offices in the town hall and subsequently used the building as its meeting place.[13] Although the committee room on the ground floor was leased out to estate agents, Bartram & Co. in January 2018,[14] the public hall has continued to be used for concerts and community events.[15]