Newport Guildhall

Newport Guildhall is a large timber-framed municipal building in Newport, Shropshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.[1]

Newport Guildhall
Newport Guildhall
Location	Newport, Shropshire
Coordinates	52.7671°N 2.3780°W / 52.7671; -2.3780
Built	1400
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated	28 April 1952
Reference no.	1177807
Location of Newport Guildhall in Shropshire

History

The current building replaced an earlier guildhall on the site which is mentioned in a document dated 1252.[2] The southern part of the current building was constructed as a single room, with gable to the road, possibly as a meeting place for the Guild of Newport, in around 1400.[1] The building was built in a typical medieval style with exposed timbers and brick infilling which has been painted white.[1] An intermediate floor was added to the original hall at a later date.[3] Testing of the beams in the roof using dendrochronology suggests that the current roof was added in 1486.[4]

The northern part of the building was constructed in a similar architectural style in the late 16th century.[1] The internal beams on the ground floor in this part of the building were decorated with chevrons, antlers, acanthus leaves and pomegranates with the last of these being associated with Catherine of Aragon.[5] The two buildings were unified externally as a single building with a continuous roof-line in the early 19th century.[3] A beam visible on the front elevation of the building, with the name "Wm Gregari" and dated 1615, was not a feature of the original building and was probably taken from a local public house and inserted to add an additional air of authenticity in the late 19th century.[3]

The building was used as a meeting place by Newport Urban District Council but ceased to be the local seat of government when the The Wrekin District Council was formed in 1974.[6] On 13 June 1991, the building was acquired by the Boughey Trust, a trust corporation established by Lady Boughey in memory of her late husband, Sir Thomas Fletcher Fenton Boughey, 4th Baronet who died on 30 August 1906.[7] The Boughey Trust made the guildhall available, rent-free, to Newport Town Council who restored it with the support of English Heritage and it was officially re-opened to the public by Algernon Heber-Percy, Vice-Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire, on 25 March 1995.[8] In spring 2019 improvement works were carried out involving a new boiler and new carpets, paintwork and lighting.[9]

The ground floor of the southern section of the building is used as a council information centre[10] while the ground floor of the northern section is used as a tea room.[11] Meetings of the Town Council are normally held in the council chamber on the first floor of the building.[12] The council chamber is also used for weddings and civic ceremonies.[13]

See also

• Guild
• Guildhall

References

1. Historic England. "Guildhall, Newport (1177807)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
2. "Civil Ceremonies". Newport Town Council. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
3. "The Guildhall, Newport". Newport Town Council. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
4. "Communities groups celebrating £150,000 for improvements on Newport buildings". Shropshire Star. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
5. "The Guildhall, Newport". Shropshire History Society. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
6. Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
7. "History". The Boughey Trust. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
8. Brass Plaque inside the building
9. "New life brought into Newport community buildings thanks to Telford 50 grant". Shropshire Live. 20 February 2019. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
10. "Contact us". Newport Town Council. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
11. "The Guildhall Tea Room". Find Global. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
12. "Council Meetings, Agendas & Minutes". Newport Town Council. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
13. "Wedding Pack" (PDF). Newport Town Council. Retrieved 3 August 2020.