Description

BRIXHAM

SX9256SW NEW ROAD, Lower Brixham
1946-1/10/190 (North side)
Brixham Town Hall and Market Hall

GV II

Town hall and market hall. 1886. By GS Bridgman of Torquay.
Squared and coursed, rough-faced Devonian limestone with
yellow-brick and Bath stone dressings. Slated roofs, that to
left hipped. Yellow-brick chimney on rear wall.
Plan: main body of building consists of the market hall (now
sub-divided) with a theatre above it. This lies gable-end on
to New Road. To its left is an office-range with main entrance
and staircase. The Market Street front to right has a short
projection at each end. That at the front is rounded; that at
the rear, which is part of a cross-range running behind the
Market Hall/Theatre, is square. At right-angles to the
cross-range, and built in the same style, are the public
toilets. Italianate Classical style.
Exterior: 2 storeys (toilets 1 storey). 7 windows wide. Market
Hall is 3 windows wide. Round-arched doorway in centre of
ground storey with moulded archivolt springing from moulded
imposts, the archivolt with incised inscription BRIXHAM
MARKET; fanlight with glazing bars forming a circle and 2
semi-circles. Above it a tall round-arched window with moulded
and fluted imposts and keystone; stone-mullioned, with 3
round-headed lights below and a large round light with radial
bars above. On the base of the window is incised MARKET HALL.
Above the window is a moulded cornice surmounted by a gable
feature containing a blind round opening and flanked by
pedestals carrying battlement-like blocks. At the apex of the
gable is a tall, moulded metal finial.
The outer windows are round-arched, those in the ground storey
with moulded archivolts and imposts, those above with
hoodmoulds and fluted keystones; the ground-storey windows
have in the upper part 2 round-headed lights with a round
light at the top. Above the second-storey windows, which are
considerably shorter than that in the centre, are entablatures
with tall brick parapets.
Main entrance is round-arched with 4 attached shafts at each
side. Flanking it are pilasters supporting paired, fluted
brackets, which in turn carry an entablature and parapet. The
ground-storey windows to left of it are round-arched with
moulded imposts and archivolts; sashes, the upper ones
2-paned. Upper-storey windows have 2-paned wood casements and
transom-lights; flat chamfered lintels supported by moulded
capitals, the brick jambs forming notional pilasters. Deep,
flat eaves-cornice. Ornate iron finial. The rounded projection
to right of building is similar in character.
The Market Street front is plainer, with segmental or round
brick arches to windows and doorways. Boxed eaves-cornice.
Both projections have ornate iron finials. Toilets are
similar.
INTERIOR: main staircase is of wood in early Georgian style;
narrow open well with turned balusters having square
necking-pieces. Theatre has arch-braced roof-trusses.
The building occupies the site of the former Naval Reservoir,
from which pipes led down to King's Quay in the harbour; it
was used for watering naval ships. The 1886 building was used
for the Pannier Market; it appears to have replaced a
building, which still survives on the Strand (Tourist
Information Centre and fishmonger's shop (qv)). The Fish
Market was quite separate and still stands (rebuilt in late
C20) on The Quay.
(Pike JR: Brixham, Torbay: a bibliographical guide: Torbay:
1974-: 4; King J: Plan of the Watering Place at Brixham:
1781-; 25in OS Map of Brixham (1st ed): 1864-: SHEET 128:2).

Listing NGR: SX9233256041

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Brixham Town Hall Market Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q26585776

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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