Holyhead Town Hall

Holyhead Town Hall is a municipal building on Newry Street in Holyhead, Wales. It was created as a public hall during a period when the town was developing as an important seaport and required facilities for civic administration, public gatherings, markets, entertainment and local meetings. The building remains associated with the civic life of Holyhead and serves as the meeting place of Holyhead Town Council. The hall emerged from efforts to replace or supplement the earlier Holyhead Market Hall, which had combined market functions with local law-court hearings. In December 1873, a group of Holyhead businessmen established a company to raise funds for a new public hall. They selected a site on Newry Street owned by William Williams of Jew Street. The resulting building was designed by John Thomas, the county surveyor for Caernarfonshire, and constructed by local contractor Richard Williams. It was built in buff brick in the Gothic Revival style and formally opened on 31 August 1875. The opening was marked by two concerts conducted by Tanymarian. The Welsh baritone James Sauvage performed at the celebrations, which were attended by Morgan Lloyd, the local member of Parliament. The building’s design reflected the aspirations of a growing Victorian town. Its principal elevation is symmetrical and arranged in five bays, with a slightly projecting central bay. The entrance has a deeply recessed arched doorway with a stone surround, while the first floor contains sash windows and an open gable with mullioned and tracery windows beneath an oculus. Buttressed outer bays contain further arched windows. Internally, the principal assembly hall included a proscenium arch and stage, allowing the building to function as a venue for concerts, performances and public events. Other rooms included a club room and a meeting room used by Freemasons. Decorative details included colourful entrance-hall tiles manufactured by Henry C. Webb of Worcester. These features illustrate the building’s combined civic, social and cultural role rather than a narrowly administrative purpose. Holyhead’s population increased significantly as the port expanded. In 1894, the town became an urban district, with the town hall serving as the headquarters of the new local authority. Its functions extended beyond council administration: from 1910 it was also licensed as a cinema, adding moving-picture entertainment to its existing role as an assembly and performance venue. The town hall continued as the headquarters of the urban district council for much of the twentieth century. Its direct role as the principal local-government seat changed in 1974, when the enlarged Ynys Môn Borough Council was established with its headquarters at Llangefni. Holyhead Town Hall subsequently became the offices and meeting place of Holyhead Town Council, preserving its connection with local civic government at town level. A substantial refurbishment programme was completed by DU Construction in April 2007. The works included the creation of four new offices above the main assembly hall, adapting the historic building for continued administrative use. In November 2015, the town hall hosted the unveiling of a plaque commemorating the centenary of the sinking of HMS Tara and HMHS Anglia, two vessels that regularly sailed from Holyhead and employed many local people among their crews. The building therefore continues to function as both a working municipal facility and a place for public remembrance and community identity.

Holyhead Town Hall was developed in response to the need for a substantial public building in a growing Welsh port. Before its construction, Holyhead Market Hall served both as a marketplace and as a venue for local law-court hearings. In December 1873, local businessmen formed a company to finance a replacement or expanded public hall. They chose land on Newry Street owned by William Williams of Jew Street in Holyhead. The building was designed by John Thomas, the county surveyor for Caernarfonshire, and built by the local contractor Richard Williams. The architects and builders used buff brick and a Gothic Revival vocabulary, creating a symmetrical five-bay frontage. The central bay projects slightly and contains a recessed arched entrance, upper-floor sash windows, an open gable with mullioned and tracery windows, and an oculus. The outer bays are marked by buttresses and arched sash windows. Holyhead Town Hall officially opened on 31 August 1875. The inauguration involved two concerts conducted by Tanymarian, with performances by Welsh baritone James Sauvage. Morgan Lloyd, the local member of Parliament, attended the opening events. From the beginning, the building was designed for multiple forms of public use. Its main assembly hall contained a stage and proscenium arch, while additional rooms served as a club room and as a meeting place for Freemasons. Colourful entrance-hall tiles made by Henry C. Webb of Worcester provided a notable decorative element. The town’s growth was closely connected to its seaport. In 1894, Holyhead became an urban district, and the town hall was adopted as the headquarters of the urban district council. It continued to combine local-government work with public and cultural activities. In 1910, it received a cinema licence, allowing the hall to operate as a film venue as well as a site for civic functions, meetings, concerts and performances. The building remained the urban district council’s headquarters through much of the twentieth century. Its role changed following local-government reorganisation in 1974, when the larger Ynys Môn Borough Council was formed and based at Llangefni. Holyhead Town Hall did not cease to have a civic function; instead, it became the offices and meeting place of Holyhead Town Council. A major refurbishment programme was completed by DU Construction in April 2007. Among the changes was the creation of four offices above the main assembly hall, enabling the historic structure to support contemporary administrative requirements. In November 2015, a commemorative plaque was unveiled at the town hall to mark the centenary of the sinkings of HMS Tara and HMHS Anglia during the First World War. Both vessels had regularly sailed from Holyhead and had employed local people among their crews. The event reinforced the town hall’s continuing role as a setting for civic memory, local history and community observance.

• 2015

  Maritime centenary plaque unveiled

  [1]Holyhead Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  A plaque commemorating the centenary of the sinkings of HMS Tara and HMHS Anglia was unveiled at the town hall.

• 2007

  Refurbishment completed

  [1]Holyhead Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  DU Construction completed refurbishment works, including four new offices above the main assembly hall.

• 1974

  Local-government role reorganised

  [1]Holyhead Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The creation of Ynys Môn Borough Council, headquartered at Llangefni, ended the town hall’s role as the principal seat of the former urban district administration.

• 1910

  Licensed as a cinema

  [1]Holyhead Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The building expanded its public-entertainment role when it received a licence to operate as a cinema.

• 1894

  Became headquarters of the urban district

  [1]Holyhead Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  Following Holyhead’s designation as an urban district, the town hall became the headquarters of the local authority.

• 1875

  Town hall officially opened

  [1]Holyhead Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  The new Gothic Revival building formally opened on 31 August, with concerts and performances attended by local dignitaries.

• 1873

  Local company formed to develop a new public hall

  [1]Holyhead Town Hallen.wikipedia.org

  A group of Holyhead businessmen formed a company in December to raise funds for a new public hall on Newry Street.

A historic civic and community venue combining local-government offices and meeting space with a former public-hall, performance and cinema function.

1. 1Holyhead Town Hallen.wikipedia.org