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The Old Town Hall (Welsh: Hen Neuadd y Dref Llandrindod) is a municipal building in Temple Street, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, Wales. The structure, which accommodates the offices of Llandrindod Wells Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.[1]

History

The building was commissioned by the first resident medical doctor in the town, William Bowen-Davies, for use as his private house, which he named "Brynarlais". Bowen-Davies went on to become an expert on the benefits of the mineral waters which were naturally available from the springs in the town.[2] The house was designed in the Victorian style, built in a combination of yellow brick and rubble masonry and was completed in around 1872.[1]

The design of the original building involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing south; the ground floor, which was built in yellow brick, featured a central arched porch with voussoirs flanked by bay windows, while the first floor, which was built in rubble masonry, was fenestrated with a tall central sash window with an architrave flanked by standard-sized sash windows, also with architraves. The building was extended at the back, along Temple Street, in around 1890 to create additional accommodation for Bowen-Davies' surgery. The extension included a prominent two-storey canted bay which projected forward towards Temple Street and was surmounted by a castellated parapet; there was also an additional porch with columns supporting a modillioned canopy, proving access direct to the surgery.[1]

Following significant population growth, largely associated with the large number of visitors to the local mineral water spas, the area became an urban district in 1894.[3] In its early years the new urban district council rented various offices around the town for its staff.[4] However, after the death of Bowen-Davies in April 1908, Brynarlais was marketed for sale and acquired by the urban district council in 1910. A council chamber and civic rooms were established in the extension at the back of the building.[1][5]

A war memorial designed by Benjamin Lloyd, in the form of a soldier with his head bowed standing on a plinth, which was intended to commemorate the lives of local service personnel who had died in the First World War, was erected in a newly landscaped memorial garden in front of the original entrance to the town hall and unveiled by Lord Lieutenant of Radnorshire, Lord Ormathwaite, in July 1922.[6][7]

The building continued to serve as the offices of the urban district council for much of the 20th century,[8] but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged Radnorshire District Council was formed in 1974.[9] Instead, it accommodated the offices of several local businesses as well as the offices of Llandrindod Wells Town Council.[10] A tourist information centre was also established in the building.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Cadw. "Brynarlais (87569)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Dr William Bowen Davies: Chapter IV of the Town Guide to Llandrindod Wells". 1890. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  3. ^ "Llandrindod Wells UD". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Former home of spa pioneer, Llandrindod Wells". History Points. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Exploring Llandrindod Wells Today". Llandrindod Wells Town Guide. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Llandrindod Wells WW1 and WW2". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Llandrindod Wells war memorial". History Points. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  8. ^ "No. 45810". The London Gazette. 24 October 1972. p. 12537.
  9. ^ Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN 0-10-547072-4.
  10. ^ "Contact the Town Council". Llandrindod Wells Town Council. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  11. ^ Aitken, Tom; Buss, Wojtek (2008). One Hundred and One Beautiful Towns in Great Britain. Random House. p. 232. ISBN 978-0847830503.
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