Cheltenham Town Hall
Encyclopedia
Cheltenham Town Hall is an early-20th century assembly rooms
in Cheltenham
, England
. Unlike most town halls, it is a public venue and not the seat of the borough council, which is housed in the nearby municipal offices.
The town hall was built in 1902-03, in order to provide a venue for social events, replacing the old Assembly Rooms in High Street which had been demolished to build a bank.
The site chosen was part of Imperial Square. The building was designed by Gloucester
architect
Frederick William Waller and built by the Cheltenham firm of Collins and Godfrey. The total cost of the building, including internal decoration, fixtures and fittings, was around £45,000.
It was formally opened on 5 December 1903 by Sir Michael Hicks Beach MP, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer
, whose family had long-standing connections with Cheltenham.
The main hall, with Corinthian
columns and coved ceiling, measures 92 by 52 ft (28 by 15.8 ) and is 53 feet (16.2 m) high, with a capacity of 1,000 people. There are other smaller rooms, and to the left of the entrance hall, the Central Spa dispenses the waters from all the pump rooms of Cheltenham Spa. The octagonal counter and urns, which are of Doulton ware, are still in use.
When resident with the Royal Corps of Signals
at the Moray House Hotel (now the Carlton Hotel) from 1943, Sir Norman Wisdom
performed at the hall in Army charity concerts, after one of which actor Rex Harrison
came backstage and urged him to turn professional.
The town hall is now used for concerts, banquets, meetings, dances, balls, exhibitions, conferences and as one of the major homes of Cheltenham Festivals
.
Assembly rooms
In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done at home and there were few public places of entertainment open to both sexes...
in Cheltenham
Cheltenham
Cheltenham , also known as Cheltenham Spa, is a large spa town and borough in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds in the South-West region of England. It is the home of the flagship race of British steeplechase horse racing, the Gold Cup, the main event of the Cheltenham Festival held...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Unlike most town halls, it is a public venue and not the seat of the borough council, which is housed in the nearby municipal offices.
The town hall was built in 1902-03, in order to provide a venue for social events, replacing the old Assembly Rooms in High Street which had been demolished to build a bank.
The site chosen was part of Imperial Square. The building was designed by Gloucester
Gloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Frederick William Waller and built by the Cheltenham firm of Collins and Godfrey. The total cost of the building, including internal decoration, fixtures and fittings, was around £45,000.
It was formally opened on 5 December 1903 by Sir Michael Hicks Beach MP, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, whose family had long-standing connections with Cheltenham.
The main hall, with Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns and coved ceiling, measures 92 by 52 ft (28 by 15.8 ) and is 53 feet (16.2 m) high, with a capacity of 1,000 people. There are other smaller rooms, and to the left of the entrance hall, the Central Spa dispenses the waters from all the pump rooms of Cheltenham Spa. The octagonal counter and urns, which are of Doulton ware, are still in use.
When resident with the Royal Corps of Signals
Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals is one of the combat support arms of the British Army...
at the Moray House Hotel (now the Carlton Hotel) from 1943, Sir Norman Wisdom
Norman Wisdom
Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE was an English actor, comedian and singer-songwriter best known for a series of comedy films produced between 1953 and 1966 featuring his hapless onscreen character Norman Pitkin...
performed at the hall in Army charity concerts, after one of which actor Rex Harrison
Rex Harrison
Sir Reginald Carey “Rex” Harrison was an English actor of stage and screen. Harrison won an Academy Award and two Tony Awards.-Youth and stage career:...
came backstage and urged him to turn professional.
The town hall is now used for concerts, banquets, meetings, dances, balls, exhibitions, conferences and as one of the major homes of Cheltenham Festivals
Cheltenham Festivals
]Cheltenham Festivals is a registered charity that organises four festivals every year in the spa town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: the Jazz, Science, Music and Literature. In addition to this it promotes the use of several venues for private and commercial use ]Cheltenham Festivals is a...
.