The Old Town Hall Town Hall Buildings

The first municipal building in the town was a small square building at the south end of Southgate which was completed in 1821. The building, which was known as the "Town's Room", was used as a lock-up and as an office for parish officials: it had an arched doorway, gothic windows and a sign above the doorway, quoting the Book of Proverbs Chapter 28, Clause 7, which read "whoso keeps the law is wise". In the early 1880s, the local board decided that the town needed an events venue capable of hosting large public events: the site they chose was directly opposite the old Town's Room. The foundation stone for the new building was laid on 21 June 1887. It was designed in the Italianate style,…