Bromley Town Hall Explained

Bromley Town Hall
Coordinates:51.4064°N 0.0179°W
Location:Bromley
Built:1906
Architect:R. Frank Atkinson
Architecture:Baroque style
Designation1:Grade II Listed Building
Designation1 Offname:Town Hall, Bromley
Designation1 Date:29 June 1973
Designation1 Number:1299012
Designation2:Grade II Listed Building
Designation2 Offname:Town Hall Extension, Bromley
Designation2 Date:8 December 1993
Designation2 Number:1261448

Bromley Town Hall is a municipal building in Tweedy Road, Bromley, London. Built in 1906, it is a Grade II listed building.

History

The building was commissioned to replace an old town hall in the Market Square which was completed in 1863.[1] The site selected for the new building was bounded by three existing residential streets.[2]

The foundation stone for the new building was laid by a former charter mayor, Thomas Dewey, on 25 July 1906.[3] The new building was designed by R. Frank Atkinson in the Baroque style and built by F. G. Minter of Putney.[4] It was officially opened by the mayor, Alderman Reginald James, on 25 September 1907.[5] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with 15 bays facing onto Tweedy Road; the central section of three bays featured a semi-circular porch supported by four Ionic order columns and surmounted by an urn on the ground floor; there were three windows with a pediment above on the first floor; a wooden cupola with a copper dome was erected at roof level. The principal rooms were the council chamber and the mayor's parlour, both located on the first floor.[2]

An extension designed by Charles Cowles-Voysey in the Neo-Georgian style was completed in 1939. The design involved a frontage of 17 bays facing onto Widmore Road; the central section featured a doorway with stone surround on the ground floor; there was a window with stone surround on the first floor. The principal room was a new council chamber located on a mezzanine level at the rear of the building.[2]

The building was established as the headquarters of the Municipal Borough of Bromley and continued to function as the local of seat of government when the enlarged London Borough of Bromley was formed in 1965.[6] David Bowie's wedding to Mary Angela Barnett took place in the town hall in March 1970.[7] An underground nuclear fall-out shelter was built under the extension during the 1980s.[7]

As part of a larger regeneration scheme to create a new Civic Centre, the council moved their offices to the old palace in 1982.[8] [9] The town hall was then used as the home of the Bromley College Business School until 2007.[10] [11] The building, which subsequently became vacant, was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2009.[12] In 2020 works began to convert the town hall into serviced offices, a restaurant and to establish a boutique hotel on the site.[7] [13] Following completion of the works, which were carried out to a design by Cartwright Pickard, the building re-opened in September 2022.[14]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Market Square, Bromley. Ideal Homes. 28 April 2020.
  2. Web site: London's Town Halls. 25. Historic England. 25 April 2020.
  3. Web site: Gentlemen Landowners and the Middle Classes of Bromley: the transfer of power and wealth? 1840-1914. Matthew . Greenhalgh. 212. 28 April 2020.
  4. Foundation stone on Tweedy Road
  5. Web site: Bromley Town Hall. London Borough of Bromley. 28 April 2020.
  6. Web site: Local Government Act 1963. Legislation.gov.uk. 25 April 2020.
  7. Web site: Bromley Town Hall. MNP. 28 April 2020.
  8. Web site: A Bromley walk. London Footprints. 26 April 2020.
  9. Web site: Bromley timeline 1860 – 2000. London Borough of Bromley. 28 April 2020.
  10. Web site: Bromley mum says redevelopment of Old Town Hall will 'ruin' character of the area. 15 October 2019. News Shopper. 28 April 2020.
  11. Book: Skills and Training Directory. 99. 2003. Institute of Leadership & Management (Great Britain). 0-7494-4052-X.
  12. Web site: At-risk buildings, monuments and parks revealed by English Heritage. 24 June 2009. News Shopper. 28 April 2020.
  13. Web site: Abandoned Grade II listed Bromley building to become restaurant and bar. Josiah. Mortimer. 15 August 2022. MyLondon. 15 August 2022.
  14. News: Bromley Old Town Hall to reopen after refurbishment. 23 August 2022. This is Local London. 9 November 2022.