County Hall is a municipal building in Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, completed in 1940. It is the headquarters of Wiltshire Council.
| County Hall, Trowbridge | |
|---|---|
 County Hall | |
  County Hall Location within Wiltshire | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neo-Georgian style |
| Address | Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, BA14 8JQ |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 51°19′02″N 2°12′38″W / 51.3171°N 2.2106°W |
| Completed | 1940 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Philip Hepworth |
History
editIn the 19th century the judicial functions of the county were discharged at Devizes Assize Court in the Summer[1] and at Salisbury Assize Court in the Lent.[2] Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, there was a need to find a meeting place for Wiltshire County Council,[3] and the Victoria County History infers that Trowbridge was chosen by virtue of its railway connections.[4] The County Council acquired Arlington House[5] in The Parade, Trowbridge in 1896; subsequent extensions included a block of offices on land behind the building, completed in 1900, and a block of offices adjacent to the building completed in 1913.[4]
After deciding that the facilities at Arlington House and the adjacent properties were inadequate for their needs, council leaders decided to procure a new purpose-built building; the site they selected in Bythesea Road had previously been occupied by the Trowbridge Town football club.[6] The new building, which was designed by Philip Hepworth in the Neo-Georgian style, was completed in 1940.[6] The design has a symmetrical main frontage with thirteen bays facing onto Bythesea Road, the end bays slightly projected forward; the central section features a three-bay portico in antis with Doric order columns; there is a prominent window, framed by an aedicule, on the first floor and a wooden lantern containing a clock at roof level.[6] Internally, the principal room was the council chamber which was polygon-shaped and jutted out to the rear of the main building.[6]
During the Second World War, following concerns that County Hall would be a potential landmark for German aircraft, it was covered in camouflage nets.[4] An extension to a design by Alec French & Partners was built to the south east of the main building and completed in 1974.[6]
Following the merger of the former non-metropolitan districts of Kennet, North Wiltshire, Salisbury and West Wiltshire in April 2009, a new unitary authority known as Wiltshire Council adopted County Hall as its headquarters.[7] In 2011, following an application from the county council, English Heritage decided not to list County Hall as the building did not meet the criteria for listing post-1945 buildings.[6] The building was extensively refurbished by Kier Group at a cost of £22 million, to a design by Stride Treglown, in 2012.[8] The refurbishment works involved the creation of a new link block to the 1970s extension; it also involved covering over the internal courtyard within the extension with an ETFE roof, so creating a new cafe and exhibition area.[9][10][11]
Public facilities
editCounty Hall has the main office of Wiltshire Council's registration service,[12] and parts of the building are used for ceremonies such as marriage and civil partnership.[13] The building also houses the town's public library.[8]
References
edit- ^ "Saving the Assizes – a new home for the Wiltshire Museum". Wiltshire Museum. 26 November 2018. Archived from the original on 23 August 2019. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Wiltshire". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1888". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ^ a b c Chettle, H F; Powell, W R; Spalding, P A; Tillott, P M (1953). "'Parishes: Trowbridge', in A History of the County of Wiltshire". British History Online. University of London. pp. 125–171. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ Historic England. "Arlington House, Trowbridge (1364231)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "County Hall". PastScape. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
- ^ "Leader of Wiltshire council: 'The cuts have been manageable'". The Guardian. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ a b Frampton, Will (10 August 2012). "New library and cafe for Trowbridge". Wiltshire Times. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
- ^ "Wiltshire Council County Hall". AJ Buildings Library. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
- ^ "Trowbridge County Hall: Walking on air". Building. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "A public sector building that lights the way ahead for others". Workplace Insight. 10 October 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Contact Registration Service". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Approved venue search". Wiltshire Council. Retrieved 3 February 2023.