Listed Building: THE TOWN HALL (488300)

768/0/10070 BOURNE ROAD 11-DEC-01 The Town Hall GV II Hotel, converted to town hall. 1881-5; by Alfred Bedborough; converted to Town Hall in 1921; Council Chamber added circa 1930; extended circa 1990. Buff-coloured brick with Bath stone dressings. Slate roofs. PLAN: Original hotel L-shaped on plan with curved angle; converted to Town Hall in 1921 and Council Chamber wing built on left [SW] end in about 1930; extended at rear left [NE] in about 1990. French/Italianate and neo-Classical styles. EXTERIOR: 4 storeys, basement and attic. Long 3:4:2:3:3:7:3 bay south front, the right end faces east with curved corner; end bays advanced with pavilion roofs; projecting entrance bay to left of centre rises to small tower with turrets and pavilion roof with iron cresting and with small pediment at eaves; bracketed eaves with festoons between the brackets of the advanced bays; rusticated ashlar piano nobile and cast-iron balcony above on large console brackets; moulded stone window architraves and red terracotta friezes, second floor with cornice above; pedimented dormers above eaves cornice, 4-bay projection on left has 2-storey canted bay window and 3-bay right-hand projection has oriel with balcony balustrade; main entrance off centre has segmentally arched carriageway blocked by later Baroque portico with broken segmental pediment with oculus. Projecting Council Chamber wing on left, 2-storey rusticated ashlar base with broad pilasters and sash windows with rusticated flat arches, and a brick piano nobile with a stone entablature, tall arched panels to the sides with an oculus at the head of each panel and a bowed south front with a rusticated portico with a balcony above and a giant Ionic order of attached paired columns to the piano nobile above with an oculus between each pair of columns. Rear elevation of main range similarly treated as that of front. INTERIOR: Entrance hall [originally carriageway of hotel] has coffered vaulted ceiling, internal porch with swivel doors and ornate kiosk desk. Main open-well staircase has cast-iron balustrade and arcades to the landings with pairs of ornately decorated glazed Doulton columns, the attic columns made of plaster to simulate ceramic columns below. Plainer secondary staircase. Two of the hotel lounges, now mayor's parlour and members' room, have moulded plaster ceilings and chimneypieces. Shallow flight of stairs to Council Chamber with large stone newel piers and iron balustrade, large circular landing with fluted Ionic pilasters, shallow coffered dome with lantern and mosaic floor, panelled vestibule and intact Council Chamber with shallow domed ceiling, panelled sides with public galleries above, complete horse-shoe shaped seating and apsidal dias with fluted wooden Ionic columns and pilasters. SOURCE: Buildings of England [Hampshire], p.127. The Town Hall, originally the Mont Dore Hotel and the grandest Victorian hotel in Bournemouth, was converted into the Town Hall in 1921 and has a fine Council Chamber of about 1930.

Record last edited

Nov 19 2013 12:43PM