Rugby Town Hall

Rugby Town Hall
Rugby Town Hall
Map
General information
Architectural styleNeo-Georgian
LocationEvreux Way, Rugby, Warwickshire
Coordinates52°22′31″N 1°15′49″W / 52.375337°N 1.263575°W / 52.375337; -1.263575
Inaugurated1961
OwnerRugby Borough Council
Design and construction
Architect(s)Ernest Prestwich

Rugby Town Hall is a municipal building on Evreux Way in the town centre of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. The building is the headquarters of Rugby Borough Council.

History

Previous town halls

Two previous town halls existed on High Street: The first one was built in 1857, designed by Edward Welby Pugin and James Murray,[1] This town hall was built by a private company for profit, and was multi-purpose, containing indoor markets, shops, an assembly room, a library, and a room for official business by the County Court and Magistrates. An extension was made in 1919. This building was not used by the local council however, who had their offices on Windmill Lane until 1900. In 1906, the building was sold to a theatrical company, and in 1911 it was converted into a cinema called Vint's Palace of Varieties.[2] Most of the building except for the extension was destroyed by a fire in 1921, and was replaced by a building which was until 2009 a Woolworths shop.[3][4]

The second Town Hall, this one being a municipal building which housed the local council dated from 1900, in a building constructed using money left in the will of George Charles Benn, who in his will of 1895 left £6,000 to the local council to construct a building that would be useful to the town.[5] It was constructed on the site of the former ‘Shoulder of Mutton Inn’. It was used by the council until 1937, when they moved to an early 19th century property known as "The Lawn" on Newbold Road,[6][7] and the second town hall was converted into a Marks and Spencer shop, which it remained until 2015.[3][4]

Current Town Hall

After civic leaders found that "The Lawn" was inadequate for their needs, they elected to construct a purpose-built facility. In December 1937 the borough council approved the design of a new town hall, made by Ernest Prestwich of J.C. Prestwich & Sons,[8] at an estimated cost of £90,478 (equivalent to £7,374,389.58 in 2023), in spite of objections as to cost.[9] By the end of the year, plans were being modified to lower the cost.[10] However, by November 1938 no foundation stone had been laid, the council and populace were still arguing about the cost of the scheme, and a ministerial inquiry was held in relation to the required loans. Prestwich was the only witness called, to "explain details of the scheme". The Rugby Advertiser devoted a whole page to the matter.[11]

Ultimately, the work was postponed by the Second World War, and construction was delayed until work started in June 1959.[12] Adjoining it to the north is a functions venue called Benn Hall which was built at the same time. Both the "New Town Hall" and the Benn Hall were opened on 5 July 1961 by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.[13][14] The town hall consists of two brick neo-Georgian wings, fronted by a white stone entrance portico,[15] the top of which is inscribed with the borough motto "Floreat Rugbeia", Latin for "May Rugby Flourish".[16]

The architecture historian Nikolaus Pevsner did not hold a favourable view of the town hall, describing it as "quite dead architecturally".[15][17]

During 1984-85 the town hall made the national news when it was the scene of protests against Rugby council's controversial decision to remove the words ‘sexual orientation’ from their Equal Opportunities policy. This was widely interpreted as a 'ban on gays' and caused uproar, and led to large protests from gay rights campaigners and politicians, including the MP Chris Smith, who used the occasion to choose to "come out" as Britain's first gay MP. The council eventually bowed to pressure to reverse the decision in early 1985.[18]

A bronze sculpture commemorating Sir Frank Whittle, the "Father of the Jet Engine", was installed at Chestnut Field just outside the town hall in 2005.[19]

In more recent times solar panels were installed on the roof of the building.[20]

  • Rugby High Street in 1893, the building second to the right was the first Town Hall of 1857. Destroyed by fire in 1921.
    Rugby High Street in 1893, the building second to the right was the first Town Hall of 1857. Destroyed by fire in 1921.
  • The second Town Hall of 1900, on the opposite side of High Street, now in use as a shop.
    The second Town Hall of 1900, on the opposite side of High Street, now in use as a shop.
  • Close-up of current Town Hall portico.
    Close-up of current Town Hall portico.
  • View from east
    View from east
  • The Town Hall seen through the nearby Whittle memorial.
    The Town Hall seen through the nearby Whittle memorial.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rugby Town Hall.
  1. ^ "Rugby New Town Hall and Markets". Illustrated London News. 15 August 1857. p. 163. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  2. ^ Rugby aspects of the Past, Volume 12 (2022) Rugby Local History Research Group
  3. ^ a b "Rugby's wandering town hall". Our Warwickshire. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Rugby history timeline". Rugby Local History Group. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  5. ^ "A very short introduction to the hall by Rugby Borough Council" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2009.
  6. ^ "No. 42351". The London Gazette. 12 May 1961. p. 3534.
  7. ^ Historic England. "The Lawn (1035028)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Rugby's new town hall to seat 1,500 people". Rugby Advertiser. 27 November 1936. p. 11 col.6. Retrieved 7 April 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Rugby's proposed new town hall ... Town council decision". Rugby Advertiser. 3 December 1937. p. 8 cols 3,4. Retrieved 26 March 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Rubby Municipal Buildings scheme will be modified". Leicester Daily Mercury. 1 December 1937. p. 12 col.3. Retrieved 28 March 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "The proposed new municipal buildings". Rugby Advertiser. 18 November 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 26 March 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ Aspects of 20th Century Rugby, Rugby Local History Research Group, page 64
  13. ^ "Timeline: 1961". rugby-local-history.org. Rugby Local History. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Information for record number MWA3388: Rugby Town Hall". warwickshire.gov.uk. Warwickshire County Council. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Rugby Town Hall: Description of this historic site". Our Warwickshire. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
  16. ^ Mckay, Stephen. "Floreat Rugbeia". Geograph.org. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  17. ^ Rugby, Further Aspects of The Past, Rugby Local History Group (1977) page 82
  18. ^ "Rugby's 'Ban on gays' in 1984". Our Warwickshire. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Winning ways to hail jet pioneer". CoventryTelegraph. 24 March 2005. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Rugby Town Hall project". Stratford Energy. Retrieved 28 August 2020.