Old Town Hall, Cromer | |
---|---|
Location | Prince of Wales Road, Cromer |
Coordinates | 52°55′53″N 1°17′51″E / 52.9314°N 1.2975°E |
Built | 1890 |
Architect | George Skipper |
Architectural style(s) | Queen Anne style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Official name | Old Town Hall |
Designated | 21 January 1977 |
Reference no. | 1171785 |
The Old Town Hall is a former events venue in Prince of Wales Road, Cromer, Norfolk, England. The structure, which is currently used for retail purposes, is a grade II listed building. [1]
In the mid-19th century, a group of local businessmen decided to form a company to raise funds for the erection of an events venue in the town. [2] The site they selected was on the west side of Prince of Wales Road and the foundation stone was laid by Mrs Benjamin Bond-Cabbell of Cromer Hall on 3 January 1890. [3] The building was designed by George Skipper in the Queen Anne style, built in red brick with a stucco finish by Chapman and Son of Norwich and was completed later that year. [1] [4] [5]
The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing onto Prince of Wales Road; the central bay, which slightly projected forward, featured, on the ground floor, a round headed doorway and, on the first floor, a four-part window flanked by fluted pilasters supporting a modillioned pediment with an illustration of a sailing ship in the tympanum. [a] The bays on either side of the central bay were fenestrated by sash windows on the ground floor and by two-part windows on the first floor while the outer bays were fenestrated by pairs of sash windows on the ground floor and by three-part windows on the first floor. Between the two floors there was a panel bearing the coats of arms of the first lord of the manor, Sir Nicholas de Weyland, of the mariner, Robert Bacon, of the locally-born Lord Mayor of London, Sir Bartholomew Reade, and of the later lords of the manor, Lord Suffield and Benjamin Bond-Cabbell, as well as those of other prominent local families. [3] Internally, the principal room was the main assembly hall which was designed to accommodate 900 people. [3]
Following significant population growth, largely associated with the tourism industry, the area became an urban district in 1894. [8] However, rather than using the town hall, the new council chose to establish its offices at the corner of West Street and Chapel Street in 1908, [9] before relocating to North Lodge Park in 1928. [10] Following the Second World War, during which time the town hall was requisitioned for military use, [11] it resumed its role as a theatre and performers included the actor, Bernard Archard, who appeared in a production entitled The Regency Players, in 1960. [12]
The building was acquired by a firm of wine merchants in 1963, when the company that had developed it was wound up. [13] The town hall was then acquired by a property developer and let to the Co-op in 1991, before being restored with funding from English Heritage in 1994. [14] In the early 21st century, it was occupied by a firm of solicitors, [15] and, in September 2020, it re-opened as a shop known as "Harbord's Artisan Vintage Emporium". [16]
Shall we ever forget him in The Regency Players at Cromer Town Hall?
Old Town Hall, Cromer | |
---|---|
Location | Prince of Wales Road, Cromer |
Coordinates | 52°55′53″N 1°17′51″E / 52.9314°N 1.2975°E |
Built | 1890 |
Architect | George Skipper |
Architectural style(s) | Queen Anne style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Official name | Old Town Hall |
Designated | 21 January 1977 |
Reference no. | 1171785 |
The Old Town Hall is a former events venue in Prince of Wales Road, Cromer, Norfolk, England. The structure, which is currently used for retail purposes, is a grade II listed building. [1]
In the mid-19th century, a group of local businessmen decided to form a company to raise funds for the erection of an events venue in the town. [2] The site they selected was on the west side of Prince of Wales Road and the foundation stone was laid by Mrs Benjamin Bond-Cabbell of Cromer Hall on 3 January 1890. [3] The building was designed by George Skipper in the Queen Anne style, built in red brick with a stucco finish by Chapman and Son of Norwich and was completed later that year. [1] [4] [5]
The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing onto Prince of Wales Road; the central bay, which slightly projected forward, featured, on the ground floor, a round headed doorway and, on the first floor, a four-part window flanked by fluted pilasters supporting a modillioned pediment with an illustration of a sailing ship in the tympanum. [a] The bays on either side of the central bay were fenestrated by sash windows on the ground floor and by two-part windows on the first floor while the outer bays were fenestrated by pairs of sash windows on the ground floor and by three-part windows on the first floor. Between the two floors there was a panel bearing the coats of arms of the first lord of the manor, Sir Nicholas de Weyland, of the mariner, Robert Bacon, of the locally-born Lord Mayor of London, Sir Bartholomew Reade, and of the later lords of the manor, Lord Suffield and Benjamin Bond-Cabbell, as well as those of other prominent local families. [3] Internally, the principal room was the main assembly hall which was designed to accommodate 900 people. [3]
Following significant population growth, largely associated with the tourism industry, the area became an urban district in 1894. [8] However, rather than using the town hall, the new council chose to establish its offices at the corner of West Street and Chapel Street in 1908, [9] before relocating to North Lodge Park in 1928. [10] Following the Second World War, during which time the town hall was requisitioned for military use, [11] it resumed its role as a theatre and performers included the actor, Bernard Archard, who appeared in a production entitled The Regency Players, in 1960. [12]
The building was acquired by a firm of wine merchants in 1963, when the company that had developed it was wound up. [13] The town hall was then acquired by a property developer and let to the Co-op in 1991, before being restored with funding from English Heritage in 1994. [14] In the early 21st century, it was occupied by a firm of solicitors, [15] and, in September 2020, it re-opened as a shop known as "Harbord's Artisan Vintage Emporium". [16]
Shall we ever forget him in The Regency Players at Cromer Town Hall?