Listed Building record MDO6829 - The Guildhall, Market Street, Poole

Guildhall/town hall constructed in 1761. The ground floor, which is now enclosed, was originally open at the south-west end and formed a market.

The Guildhall, Grade 2*. Of two storeys, built in 1761 of brick with stone dressings and a hipped slate roof. The ground floor, which is now enclosed, was originally open at the south-west end and formed a market; the upper floor comprises a large council chamber with a smaller chamber at the north-east end. Full architectural description <2>. Scheduled <4>.

The building was restored in 1994.

<1> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1937 (Map). SWX1197.

<2> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 2, 202-203 (Monograph). SDO149.

<3> Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society, 1994, Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for 1993, 164 (Serial). SDO93.

'GUILDHALL, MARKET STREET, POOLE.
A survey was carried out in November 1993 on the cupola of the 18th century Guildhall. Drawn elevations and a photographic record of the wooden facings were made in advance of a programme of repairs.
The archive has been submitted to English Heritage, via Poole Borough Council, and a copy is at Poole Museum Service under the reference PMO 94.'

<3> DOE (HRR), 30 June 1980, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Borough of Poole 1980, 45 (Scheduling record). SWX3744.

1761. Stands on island site with main façade looking south down Market Street. Red brick, stucco quoins and band at first floor. Pediment with side parapet, stucco dressings. Clock with stucco surround, in tympanum. First floor entrance approached by 2 curved flights of railed steps. Portico with pedimetned hood, 2 square engaged, and 2 roudn Doric columns with balustrade between. Moulded architrave. Modern glass doors. Round arched door below eith rusticated stone surround. Round arched fanlight above double doors with 6 raised and fielded panels in all. Bricked up door with artificial stone or stucco door frame under each side of steps. Side facades of red brick with some dcattered grey bricks. Stucco quoins, band at first floor height and cornice with 4 pilaster strips spaced along coped, red brick, blocking course. Hipped slate roof with domed cupola which has concave corners, wide modillion eaves cornice and roudn arched window with rusticated architraves. Weathervane. Two storeys and one attic dormer of 3 lights; 7 windows, first floor sashes with glazing bars and boxed frames under segmental arches with glazing bars and boxed frames under segmental arches with stucco keystones. Painted reveals. Under centre window on both sides is small plaque detailing the building of this Market House. Ground floor, formerly open arcade with 7 round arches with stucco keys and connecting stucco band at impost height. Arches now filled with plate glass, with contemporary style iron gates in front of each. Rear façade to New Orchard Street has 2 windows and 2 arches.

<4> 1978, List of ancient monuments in England: Southern England, 83 (Monograph). SWX1558.

2

<5> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Records, SZ 09 SW 39 (Index). SDO131.

(SZ 01009056) Guildhall (NAT) (1)

The Guildhall, Grade 2*. Of two storeys, built in 1761 of brick with stone dressings and a hipped slate roof. The ground floor, which is now enclosed, was originally open at the south-west end and formed a market; the upper floor comprises a large council chamber with a smaller chamber at the north-east end.

Full architectural description (2).

Scheduled (4). (2-4)

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date) OS 1:2500 1937
( 2) Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England) 1970 An inventory of historical monuments in the County of Dorset. Volume two : south-east [in three parts] Part 2 Page(s)202-203
( 3) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest DOE (HHR) Borough of Poole 30.6.80 p45
( 4) by Department of the Environment, Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings London 1978 List of ancient monuments in England: Volume 1, Northern England; Volume 2, Southern England; Volume 3, East Anglia and the Midlands 2 Page(s)83

<6> English Heritage, National Heritage List for England, 458287 (Digital archive). SDO12876.

POOLE

SZ0190NW MARKET STREET 958-1/16/115 (North East side) 14/06/54 The Guildhall

GV II*

Formerly known as: Old Guildhall MARKET PLACE. Guildhall, with partly open market on ground floor. Dated 1761. For John Gultson and Col. Thomas Calcraft, MPs for Poole, their names inscribed on tablets on the returns; restored 1994. Brick with limestone and stucco dressings and a hipped slate roof with flat leaded top and cupola. Mid Georgian style. Rectangular plan. 2 storeys and attic; 7-window range. 3-window front has rusticated quoins, plat band and flat cornice, with a pediment raised at the corners to form side parapets. A projecting Tuscan portico with front balustrade, antae and pediment, above a rusticated base with a blocked, keyed round arch, with fine curved steps and iron railings rising each side to the portico; first-floor keyed segmental-arched windows with 6/6-pane sashes, a clock in the pediment with a keyed architrave, and a sundial with a gnomon and number XII at the apex of the pediment. The sides have a formerly open ground-floor arcade connected by impost blocks, and first-floor keyed windows as the front. Rear Orchard Street elevation has 2 windows and 2 arches. Domed ridge cupola with concave corners, wide modillion eaves cornice and round-arched windows with rusticated architraves. INTERIOR: the Guildhall includes a first-floor council chamber with a rear platform and doorway with architrave and console pediment, beneath a coat of arms of Queen Victoria, a central right-hand fireplace, masked externally by a blind window, with enriched surround and an overmantel with broken pediment over an eared panel containing pre-1603 Royal Arms. Ceiling divided by moulded bands, central lantern and enriched coved cornice. The ground floor has cast-iron columns along the centre. A very fine example of a Georgian guildhall (manifesting the C18 wealth of Poole), after which the Custom House (qv) was modelled, and elegantly closing off the important view up Market Street. The ground-floor formerly contained an open market. (RCHME: County of Dorset (South East): London: 1970-: 202; Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Newman J: Dorset: London: 1972-: 219).

Listing NGR: SZ0095690487

Record last edited

Aug 29 2024 3:38PM