Town Hall, Saffron Walden, Essex

Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 24/03/2015

TL5338
669-1/1/280

SAFFRON WALDEN,
MARKET PLACE (South side),
Town Hall, Nos. 1 and 2 and east two bays of No. 3

(Formerly listed as Nos.1 AND 2 Town Hall, MARKET PLACE.

Previously listed as: Nos.1 AND 2, MARKET PLACE.

Previously listed as:Entrance Porch of the Town Hall, MARKET PLACE)

01/11/72

GV II

Town hall. 1761 with additions by E Burgess in 1879. Red
brick, stone and imitation timber framing, peg tile and slate
roofs. Rectangular plan with projecting porch. 3 storeys and
attic.
N front elevation: prominent 1879 porch superimposed on 1761
building (Stacey 1980, photograph, fig.66, shows former
appearance). Porch, ground floor triple arcade in stone,
2-centred arches, octagonal piers with leaf capitals, also
side arches in loggia style. Behind, central window of 6
lights, mullioned and transomed, entry doors either side,
doorways square framed with inner lancet mouldings, doors
2-leaved, boarded and with shallow 2-centred arched heads,
above, first floor of porch and attic are timber-framed,
jettied over ground floor and gabled to street. Heavy framing
with ogee braces and pilasters, projecting gable, below,
tripartite canted central first floor window with frieze
lights each side and supporting carved corbel bracket,
mullioned and transomed 2x2 lights. Gable, 6-light frieze
window, ovolo moulded mullions with serpentine bracing below
and folded-leaf band above, surmounting heraldic panel. The
porch sides have a 4x2 light mullioned and transomed window on
the first floor. All windows of the porch have small leaded
panes of coloured glass in geometrical patterns. Each side of
porch are 2 bays of the earlier Town Hall, each 3 storeys,
with modillioned eaves cornice and parapet, slate (E) and
peg-tiled (W) hipped roofs. To W of porch wall breaks forward
denoting projecting central bays of original building. Ground
floor, both wings early C19 shops, similar of 3 bays with 4
Ionic columns supporting an entablature. E shop has inserted
C20 fully glazed door in central entrance bay and C20 plain
glazing in rest. First floor of wings has windows with flat
arches and voussoired stepped keystones. W wing sashes, 3x4
panes, E wing sashes simple 2x2 panes. Second storey windows,
flat refined voussoirs, sashes with glazing bars, 3x2 panes.
Rear, S elevation to Butcher Row, all late C19 work, principal
range red brick with stone dressings, peg-tiled roof, stack at
W end. To E, gabled end of timber-framed unit, double jettied
to Market Street, with prominent external central red brick
stack. Principal range of 5 first floor window range,
mullioned and transomed, each of 3x3 lights, leaded coloured
panes. Central ground floor doorway with high moulded label
over, over-light comprising 3 arched lights with coloured
`bulls-eye' leaded panes, flat chamfered and moulded 4-centred
arch, swan and lion decorated spandrels. Iron spear-head gate
to inner porch, door boarded, battened and studded. To W, 3
plain segment headed windows, mullioned and transomed wooden
frames, 3x2 lights, plain glass, to E, 2 windows similar to
those on first floor, plain glass, one set in base of stack.
Also, to W of stack upper ground floor plain fire-escape door
and iron stairway.
E elevation to Market Street, 2 principal units to N and S
with linking bay. Site falls fron N to S. N end, 3-bay side
elevation of 1761 town hall, 3 storeys with modillioned eaves,
cornice and parapet carried round from N elevation. Tall C19
stack rises behind parapet. Ground floor, 3 plain windows, C20
glazing. First and second floor, central window recess blind,
outer window, first floor, N, sash with glazing bars, 3x4
panes, S C20 2-light casement. Second floor, both sashes with
glazing bars, 3x2 panes. Brick-work has scored pointing and
entablature and Ionic columns from shop-front to N returned
round NE corner. To S, inset 2-storey C19 linking bay has
parapet, simple cornice and ground and first floor C19 segment
headed 2-light window with leaded panes. S end, late C19
double jettied 3-storeyed range, timbered with peg-tiled roof
and timbered end gable of range to Market Row above. Also,
prominent stack at S end gable. Ground floor red brick with
stone dressings, two 4-light mullioned windows, frosted leaded
panes. Central panel recording presentation of building by
Alderman Gibson in 1878. First floor, moulded jetty,
bressumer, 3 oriel mullioned windows on brackets with coloured
leaded glazing, respectively 3,4 and 3 lights. Second floor,
under eaves, two 5-light mullioned frieze windows, ovolo
moulded, leaded coloured panes.
INTERIOR has principal room on first floor of N front porch,
ceiling of simplified hammer-beam form. Stairway from front
door of imperial style in oolitic limestone supported on
longitudinal and transverse arches, piers and arches double
chamfered with decorative stops, stair handrails in brass on
short bobbin balusters. Ceilings of stair hall in Jacobean
style panelled plasterwork.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N & Ratcliffe E: Essex:
London: 1965-: 335; Stacey HC: Saffron Walden in Old
Photographs: Saffron Walden: 1980-: FIG.66; White M: Saffron
Walden's History: Saffron Walden: 1991-: 134).

Listing NGR: TL5389738544

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Town Hall

A Grade II Listed Building in Saffron Walden, Essex

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