Acton Town Hall

Acton Town hall is a municipal building in High Street, Acton, London. It is a Grade II listed building.[1]

Acton Town Hall
Acton Town Hall
LocationActon
Coordinates51.5063°N 0.2677°W / 51.5063; -0.2677
Built1910
ArchitectRaffles and Gridley
Architectural style(s)Baroque style
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated20 November 2003
Reference no.1390770
Shown in Ealing

History

The facility was commissioned to replace an existing Italianate style town hall in the High Street.[2] The site chosen for the new building was previously occupied by Berrymede Priory.[2]

The foundation stone for the new building on 3 April 1909.[2] It was designed by Raffles and Gridley in the Baroque style and was built by F.G. Minter of Putney on Acton Lane.[1] It was officially opened by Herbert Nield, the Member of Parliament for Ealing on 10 March 1910.[3] The building was established as the offices of the Acton Urban District Council and went on to become headquarters of the Municipal Borough of Acton when it was granted county borough status in 1921.[4] A separate structure, now known as the "King's Rooms Building", was designed by William Leicester and built further to the east along the High Street: it opened in 1926.[5] The King's Rooms Building was intended to provide access and facilities for the swimming baths.[5]

The main building was extended to the east along the High Street (towards the King's Rooms Building) to the designs of William Leicester in the late 1930s.[1] The enlarged building, which included a large assembly hall with stage and balcony on the High Street frontage, was officially re-opened by Lord Rochdale, the Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex, on 24 June 1939.[3] A Victory Ball to mark the end of the Second World War was held in the concert hall in 1945.[3]

The town hall ceased to function as the local of seat of government when the enlarged London Borough of Ealing was formed in 1965.[6] The assembly hall was the scene of a live recording by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, subsequently released as Live at Acton Town Hall, in November 2002.[7]

After becoming surplus to requirements, the complex was converted for residential use in 2018.[8]

References
  1. Historic England. "Acton Town Hall (1390770)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  2. "London's Town Halls". Historic England. p. 47. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  3. "Acton Town Hall". London Borough of Ealing. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  4. "Welcome to a Short History of Acton, Middlesex". Acton History. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  5. "Acton Town Hall: Supplementary Planning Document" (PDF). London Borough of Ealing. 1 December 2013. p. 86. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  6. "Local Government Act 1963". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  7. "RSDBF '12 Special Release: Joe Strummer - Live At Action Town Hall". Recordstoreday.com. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  8. "Acton's Iconic Old Town Hall Development Comes to Market". Refurb Projects. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
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