Listed Building record MDO12192 - Town Hall, South Street, Bridport

Red brick Town Hall with ashlar dressings, built James Hamilton (mason) in 1785-6 to a design by William Tyler RA. The clock tower and cupola above were added about twenty years later. The ground floor is arcaded and originally held an open market. The town hall stands at the junction of East Street and South Street, on the site of the former medieval chapel of St Andrew.

Saint Andrew's chapel stood at the central junction until 1785 when it was replaced by the present Town Hall. <2>

The town hall stands at the junction of East and South Streets and is on the site of the former Chapel of St Andrew. It is T-shaped in plan with the broad cross-wing fronting East Street, of red brick with ashlar dressings and slate-covered roof. The ground floor has arcading of semi-circular arches, originally to accommodate an open market. The arcading to the south wing has been blocked. The central three arches on the main north front project and are of rusticated stonework, with projection carried up above in brick and pedimented at roof level to form a central feature. At first floor level is a Venetian window, with the Borough Arms below carved on a stone panel, and a circular window in the pediment. Plain rectangular windows flank the central projection at first floor level on the north front. The east and west fronts have a single plain rectangular window flanked by round-headed niches. The south wing has four bays of arcading along E and W sides and three bays to the south and plain rectangular windows above. Over the middle of the north cross-wing is a clock tower surmounted by an open cupola with eight columns supporting a lead-covered dome and weather vane. <3> <4>

The town hall was designed by William Tyler RA and built in 1785-6. The clock and cupola were added about twenty years later at the expense of Sir Evan Nepean. The columns of the cupola were renewed in 1825. <3>

Bridport Town Hall, on the site of the former chapel of Saint Andrew, was built in 1785-6 and is of two storeys, T-shaped in plan, in red brick with ashlar dressings. The ground floor is arcaded on the N and W sides, originally accommodating an open market. The clock tower and cupola over the middle of the N cross wing were added about 1805. <3>

An 18th century town hall on the site of a 13th century chapel. The town hall was built in 1785-6 by William Tyler (architect) and James Hamilton (mason). The brick building is of 2 storeys and T-shaped in plan, with an arcaded ground floor which originally accommodated an open market. The clock tower and cupola were added in c1805. The Chapel of St Andrew is known to have been in existence by 1268. <3>

<1> Ordnance Survey, Various, Ordnance Survey Map 1:500, 1887 (Map). SWX1328.

(SY 46589293) Town Hall and Market on Site of (NAT) St Andrews Chapel (NR)

<2> Colfox, W, 1890, 'On the History of Bridport' Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club (Article in serial). SWX1323.

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 48 (Monograph). SDO97.

<4> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 110-111 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<5> Penn, K J, 1980, Historic Towns in Dorset, 27 (Monograph). SWX1202.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, 2K/08440 (Index). SDO14738.

BRIDPORT SURVEY

<6> Tabor, R, 2011, Bridport Town Hall, Dorset. An Archaeological Watching Brief. (Unpublished document). SDO12550.

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, BF111624 (Index). SDO14738.

Bridport Project

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, DP000815 (Index). SDO14738.

Exterior view of the north elevation of the Town Hall, East Street, Bridport

<9> Historic England, Historic England Archive, DP000816 (Index). SDO14738.

Exterior view of the Town Hall, East Street, Bridport, from the north-east

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450130 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Dec 21 2022 11:34AM