Ilchester Town Hall Explained

Ilchester Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Ilchester, Somerset, England. The structure, which serves as the offices and meeting place of Ilchester Parish Council, is a Grade II listed building.

History

The first building on the site was a shire hall which dated from the 13th century, when Ilchester was the county town of Somerset.^[1] It was replaced, in the 17th century, by a new structure, parts of which are incorporated into the west end of the current building.

The current building was designed in the neoclassical style, built in rubble masonry and was completed in 1816. The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage of five bays facing onto the Town Square. The central bay featured a large round headed arch with voussoirs and a keystone containing a doorway. To the left, there were two bipartite windows and, on the first floor, there were five sash windows. At roof level, there was a parapet and a hipped roof. Internally, the principal room was an assembly room, which featured a vaulted ceiling, on the first floor.

Ilchester had a very small electorate and a dominant patron, Sir William Manners, which meant it was recognised by the UK Parliament as a rotten borough.^[2] Its right to elect members of parliament was removed by the Reform Act 1832.^[3] The building was used as a courthouse until 1843^[4] and as the county gaol until 1846.

The borough council, which had met in the council chamber, was abolished under the Municipal Corporations Act 1883.^[5] Its assets, including the town hall, were transferred to a specially-formed entity, the Ilchester Town Trust, in 1889.^[6] Following local government reorganisation in 1974, it became the meeting place of Ilchester Parish Council.^[7] In 1989, Ilchester Museum opened in the Town Hall House, immediately behind the town hall. ^[8] Since then, the town hall has continued to serve as a community events venue.^{[9] [10] [11]}

Notes and References

1. Web site: A. P.. Baggs. R. J. E.. Bush. Margaret. Tomlinson. 'Parishes: Ilchester', in A History of the County of Somerset. 3. London. 1974. 179–203. British History Online. 11 August 2023.
2. Web site: Parliamentary Reform Bill, For England. 13. 30 May 1832. Hansard. 10 August 2023.
3. Web site: The History of Politics: The Rotten Boroughs of England . Julia Herdman Books . 21 April 2017 . 10 August 2023.
4. Web site: Ilchester County Gaol and House of Correction. Prison History. 10 August 2023.
5. Book: Municipal Corporations Act 1883 (46 & 46 Vict. Ch. 18) . 1883 . 26 March 2023.
6. Web site: Ilchester Town Trust . https://web.archive.org/web/20141222202021/http://www.ilchesterparishcouncil.gov.uk/Core/IlchesterPC/Pages/Town_Trust_3.aspx. 22 December 2014. dead.
7. Web site: Meeting agendas and minutes. Ilchester Parish Council. 10 August 2023.
8. Book: Directory of Museums, Galleries and Buildings of Historic Interest in the UK 2003. Taylor and Francis. 978-1135475451.
9. Web site: Ilchester Town Hall. 10 August 2023.
10. News: A303: Where you can see the detailed plans for new dual carriageway between Ilchester and Sparkford. 17 January 2018. Somerset Live. 10 August 2023.
11. Web site: Brand-new dance project launches in June. 10 June 2021. Take Art. 10 August 2023.