Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
4562
Building Number
9
Grade
II
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
01/06/1949
Date of Amendment
28/07/1989
Name of Property
Old Town Hall
Address
9 Penlan Street
Location
Unitary Authority
Gwynedd
Community
Pwllheli
Town
Locality
Easting
237505
Northing
335187
Street Side
Location
Set into the curve of the street with similar elevation to Market Square.
Description
Broad Class
Civil
Period
History
First mentioned in 1731 as a Guildhall. Rebuilt on 1820 as a Market Hall with arcade and council chambers above; this is the building shown on John Wood’s 1834 map. Remodelled again in 1836 later addition (?1880’s) of the clock tower.
Exterior
2-storey, 4-window coursed rubble gabled front which formerly had pediment treatment. Slate roof and brick chimney stack; 12-pane sash windows to 1st floor and attic ventilator to gable, once in circular recess. Open ground floor with paired segmental arches to centre flanked at either end by smaller semi-circular arches, all with impost blocks.
Modern panelled door in extreme left hand opening and modern rubble blocking of the neighbouring archway. The arcade turns SW towards Market Square and near the corner rises the octagonal, part slate hung clock tower with louvred belfry; the clock tower part is set diagonally to the base and has gabled and finials to each face - octagonal spire and weathervane above. The W elevation to Market Square is a similar 3-window front; circular recess retained to attic ventilator and 2 arched openings to ground floor. Small pane glazed screen closes the arcade at both ends with boarded stallrisers; continued on either side within the arcade. Octagonal piers to centre with stop chamfered edges; said to be formerly ships masts.
Interior
A late Victorian staircase to left rises to the modernised 1st floor Council Chamber with ribbed panelled ceiling with part glazed deep coves and circular patterns; dog toothed cornice. Doric columned dais with rosette cornice to apsidal platform behind; extensively altered. Mostly king post roof trusses with alterations of various periods; very irregular construction to clock towards originally had a central light well/lantern - see earlier wall head etc. Clock mechanism by Whitehouse and Son, Derby.
The basement, reached through a former shop to E end, has prison cell retaining door; segmental brick roof.
Reason for designation
Group value.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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