Settle Town Hall
Settle Town Hall
LocationCheapside, Settle
Coordinates54°04′07″N 2°16′36″W / 54.0685°N 2.2768°W / 54.0685; -2.2768
Built1832
ArchitectGeorge Webster
Architectural style(s)Gothic Revival style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameTown Hall
Designated13 September 1988
Reference no.1132346
Settle Town Hall is located in North Yorkshire
Settle Town Hall
Shown in North Yorkshire

Settle Town Hall is a municipal building in Cheapside in Settle, North Yorkshire, England. The structure, which was the meeting place of Settle Rural District Council, is a Grade II listed building.[1]

History

The town hall was commissioned by a group of private shareholders:[2] it was designed by George Webster in the Gothic Revival style, built in rubble masonry at a cost of £5,500 and was completed in 1832.[3] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with six bays facing south onto Cheapside; the central section of two bays bay, which slightly projected forward, featured three openings on the ground floor with a central date stone above inscribed with the words "erected 1832".[1] There were two three-light windows on the first floor and a single three-light window on the second floor.[1] All three sections were gabled.[1] The western elevation featured a prominent oriel window on the first floor and a clock in the gable above, while the northern elevation featured an oriel window in the right hand section.[1] Internally, the principal rooms were a courtroom, an assembly room and a library.[2]

After significant population growth, largely associated with Settle's status as a market town, the area became a rural district with the town hall as its headquarters in 1894.[4] The town hall continued to serve as the headquarters of Settle Rural District Council for much of the 20th century but ceased to be local seat of government when the enlarged Craven District Council which was formed in 1974.[5] In June 1981 a protest group, the Friends of the Settle–Carlisle Line, held its inaugural meeting at the town hall and campaigned against the closure of the Settle–Carlisle line even before it was officially announced.[6]

A shop known as "Pet, Garden and Farm Supplies" was established in the building in 1983 and the local tourist information office also moved in.[7] After concerns were raised over the high cost of maintenance,[8] Craven District Council disposed of the building to a developer, Marshall Taylor Properties, in October 2011.[9] The developer completed a programme of works, which involved converting the building into a mixed-use property with residential apartments, retail units and offices, in 2016.[10][11][12] The clock on the west elevation was refurbished with funding from Marshall Taylor Properties and Settle Town Council in October 2020.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Historic England. "Town Hall (1132346)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 Lewis, Samuel (1848). "'Semer - Sexhow', in A Topographical Dictionary of England". London: British History Online. pp. 48–51. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  3. ↑ Leach, Peter; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2009). Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England Series). Yale University Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0300126655.
  4. ↑ "Settle RD". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  5. ↑ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
  6. ↑ Abbott, Stan (1986). To Kill a Railway. Leading Edge Press & Publishing. p. 54. ISBN 978-0948135019.
  7. ↑ "Mystery over new owner of Settle Town Hall". The Craven Herald. 15 October 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  8. ↑ "Settle Town Hall to be put up for sale". The Craven Herald. 25 February 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  9. ↑ "Marshall Taylor Properties buy Settle Town Hall". The Craven Herald. 16 December 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  10. ↑ "Visit to Settle Town Hall and talk on Conscientious Objectors". Craven Heritage. 13 December 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  11. ↑ "Vibrant Settle". Live Magazines. 7 March 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  12. ↑ "New lease of life for former limestone quarry". Yorkshire Post. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  13. ↑ "Town hall timepiece is repaired". The Craven Herald. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
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