Aberystwyth Town Hall () is a municipal structure in Queen's Square,

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...

, Wales. The structure, which was the headquarters of Aberystwyth Borough Council, has operated since 2012 as a public library and a pensioners' day centre.

History

The first town hall in Aberystwyth, which was located at the top of Great Darkgate Street, was completed in the 18th century. It was replaced by a new building at the top of Portland Street which was designed by William Coulthart in the Neo-Georgian style, built in

ashlar Ashlar () is a cut and dressed rock (geology), stone, worked using a chisel to achieve a specific form, typically rectangular in shape. The term can also refer to a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, a ...

stone and was completed in 1851. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with nine bays facing onto Queen's Square; the central section of three bays formed a full-height

tetrastyle A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cultu ...

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

with

Ionic order The Ionic order is one of the three canonic classical order, orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric order, Doric and the Corinthian order, Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan order, Tuscan (a plainer Doric) ...

columns supporting an

entablature An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...

and a

modillion A modillion is an ornate bracket, more horizontal in shape and less imposing than a corbel. They are often seen underneath a Cornice (architecture), cornice which helps to support them. Modillions are more elaborate than dentils (literally transl ...

pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In an ...

; there were single storey sections on either side with

sash window A sash window or hung sash window is made of one or more movable panels, or "sashes". The individual sashes are traditionally paned windows, but can now contain an individual sheet (or sheets, in the case of double glazing) of glass. History ...

s and a

balustrade A baluster () is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its ...

at roof level. Internally, one of the principal rooms was the courtroom which was used once a year for the

quarter sessions The courts of quarter sessions or quarter sessions were local courts that were traditionally held at four set times each year in the Kingdom of England from 1388; they were extended to Wales following the Laws in Wales Act 1535. Scotland establ ...

. This building was badly damaged in a fire on 10 September 1957. After the fire-damaged building had been demolished, a third town hall, designed by

Sidney Colwyn Foulkes Sidney Colwyn Foulkes OBE FRIBA FILA AMTPI (1884-1971) was a Welsh architect, especially known for his architectural designs in Colwyn Bay, cinemas and council estates in North Wales. He was one of the first industrial landscape architects in ...

in a similar style to the second building was built on the same site by The Norwest Construction Company and officially opened by the

Lord Mayor of Cardiff This is a list of mayors of Cardiff, Wales. The first mayor recorded for Cardiff was in 1126 though the title was generally given to the Constable or military governor of Cardiff Castle.

, Edward Ewart Pearce, on 2 May 1962.Plaques of the front of the building However, there were differences: the new building incorporated a high wall behind the new portico so accentuating its profile, the new pediment featured a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

in the tympanum and the detailing on the new side sections was minimal. The building continued to serve as the headquarters of the Aberystwyth Borough Council for much of the rest of the 20th century and remained the meeting place of the enlarged Ceredigion District Council after it was formed in 1974. However, it ceased to be the local seat of government when the new

unitary authority A unitary authority is a type of local government, local authority in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Unitary authorities are responsible for all local government functions within its area or performing additional functions that elsewhere are ...

Ceredigion County Council Ceredigion County Council () is the governing body for the county of Ceredigion, since 1996 one of the unitary authorities of Wales. The council's main offices are in Aberaeron. History The current council was created on 1 April 1996 under t ...

, was formed at

Aberaeron Aberaeron (), previously anglicised as Aberayron, is a town, community and electoral ward in Ceredigion, Wales. Located on the coast between Aberystwyth and Cardigan, its resident population was 1,274 in the 2021 census. The name of the town i ...

in 1996. Ceredigion County Council continued to use the building for the delivery of local services but moved out to new offices on Boulevard St Brieuc in 2009. An extensive programme of works to establish a new library and a new pensioners' day centre in the town hall started in September 2010. The conversion, which cost £950,000, was completed in April 2012 and the building was officially re-opened by the Minister for Housing, Regeneration & Heritage,

Huw Lewis Huw Lewis (born 17 January 1964) is a Welsh people, Welsh Labour Co-operative politician who served as Minister for Education (Wales), Minister for Education and Skills from 2013 to 2016. Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Lewis represented th ...

, on 13 September 2012. The new library was named the Alun R. Edwards centre () in memory of the former county librarian, Alun R. Edwards who died in 1986. However, the move of the pensioners' day centre to the basement of the town hall was controversial and led to protests outside the old day centre in Park Avenue and a petition, which gained 6,000 signatures, to the

Senedd The Senedd ( ; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, Its role is to scrutinise the Welsh Government and legislate on devolve ...

Notes

References

{{Government buildings in Wales Government buildings completed in 1962 City and town halls in Wales Buildings and structures in Aberystwyth