ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"> <title>Town Hall, Market Square - Hidden Horsham</title> <meta name="keywords" content="Horsham Town Hall, Market Square, Hidden Horsham, Francis Frith, Horsham photos"> <meta name="description" content="Horsham Town Hall. Photos on Hidden Horsham reveal architectural and structural detail that the eye normally misses."> <link rel="icon" href="favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="http://www.hiddenhorsham.co.uk/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon"> <link rel="Stylesheet" href="/styles/style.css" type="text/css"> </HEAD> <BODY> <A NAME="TOP"></A> <TABLE class="wideness"><TR><TD> <A HREF="/index.htm"> <IMG SRC="/images/topbanner.jpg" alt="click to go to the home page" border=0> </A> </TD> </TR> <TR><TD><iframe class=head scrolling="no" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="/menu/menuhh.htm"></iframe></TD></TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE ALIGN="right" border=0> <TR> <TD class=strip></TD> <TD VALIGN="TOP" WIDTH="120"> <IFRAME class=menu SCROLLING="no" FRAMEBORDER="0" MARGINHEIGHT="0" MARGINWIDTH="0" SRC="/menu/menu.htm"></IFRAME> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <H2>Hidden Horsham - Town Hall</H2> <TABLE class=thumbs align=left><TR><TD> <A HREF="/images/hh/full/35.jpg" target="_blank"> <IMG class=edge SRC="/images/hh/page/35.jpg" alt="Hidden Horsham, Thistle tiles in the pathway" width=295 height=354 border=0 align=left></A></TD></TR> <TR><TD><P class=c> Town Hall</P> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <P>The Town Hall is located in Market Square</P> <P>A property has been on this site since at least 1648 when it was referred to as a 'market house' whose loft was used as an arms store during the insurrection of that year</P> <P>In 1721 Eversfield and Arthur Ingram, Lord Irwin, funded a new Portland Stone building of two storeys with a three bay entrance facade to the front and five bays to the side. The ground floor was used for a butter and poultry market <P>The upper floors were used for holding quarter sessions and assizes in addtion to borough meetings</P> <P>By the early 19<SUP>th</SUP> century the building was in a dangerous condition. In 1812 the building was repaired and enlarged by the 11<SUP>th</SUP> Duke of Norfolk at a cost of £8000. The Norman style facade replaced the existing one complete with the three coats of arms (see below), battlements and turrets. The open ground floor was enclosed at the same time for use as a lower court room</P> <TABLE CLASS=nairn width=200 align=left><TR><TD><P> 'Central crowstepped gable, octagonal corner turrets, three panels containing well-carved arms (a judicious each-way bet; Royal, Duke of Norfolk's, Civic). On the ground floor arcading whose genesis was the neo-classical design of someone like Mylne but which has gone Norman for novelty's sake'<BR> <A HREF="/88/nairn.htm">Ian Nairn 1965</P> </TD></TR></TABLE> <P>In 1820 the clock was added but some 10 years later the building was again in a state of disrepair. A large bell, now in the care of Horsham Museum, was also added in 1820. There were plans to build a better court house & town hall in the Carfax at the site of the <A HREF="/29/bandstand.htm">bandstand</A> but these never came to anything. It continued to be used for quarter sessions and other official business as well as being the home of the fire engine. The three cells underneath were used until the first police station was built in 1846</P> <P>In 1867, in the absence of a town council, a public meeting was held to decide the fate of the town hall. The hall was accepted as a gift to the town from the Duke on a 99 year lease at a cost of £1 per annum. Private subsciptions raised £288.15s.0d and a mortgage was taken out with the Horsham Building Society</P> <TABLE CLASS="boxout" border=0 width=400 align=right><TR><TD> <P><B>The bell's inscription</B></P> <P>His Grace, the Duke of Norfolk,<BR> presented the new Town Hall clock Anno Domini 1820<BR> R. Hurst Esq and J. Torne<BR> Bailiffs R. Stedman, gent<BR> Town CLerke: Sir John Aubrey xxxx., and Robert Hurst Esq.,<BR> Members of the Borough<BR> Whose Praise and Fame<BR> I'll speak and tell,<BR> as long as I remain a bell,<BR> And after death I hope and trust,<BR> They'll all be numbered with the Just</P> </TD></TR></TABLE> <P>In 1888 the 15<SUP>th</SUP> Duke sold the building to the town for £25. The structure, except for the front wall as shown in the photograph, was demolished and rebuilt. The Norman facade was increased in height. It was then used for meetings of the urban district council and later the district council. Quarter sessions were held there until 1939 and it was used as a law court as recently as 1974. In 1925 the Town Hall was used to house the <A HREF="/89/horshamlibrary.htm"> public library</A></P> <P>On April 1, 1949 John George Haigh appeared before 10 Sussex magistrates here charged with the Acid Bath Murders. The hearing took two days but the main trial took place on July 18th 1949 in Lewes. Haigh was held at the <A HREF="/25/25.htm">Police Station</A> in Barttelot Road</P> <P>The front wall bears three coats of arms as shown below. The Duke of Norfolks are the left and in the centre is the royal coat of arms. On the right are Horsham's arms derived from from two families historically linked to the town. The de Broase family from Chesworth Farm and the de Mowbrays. In 1298 John de Mowbray married a de Broase heiress and 100 years later Thomas de Mowbray was created the first Duke of Norfolk</P> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=thumbs> <TR> <TD><A HREF="http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=51.061902~-0.328359&style=h&lvl=18&scene=1915478" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/aerial/a35.jpg" alt="aerial view" border=0></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/35d.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/35d.jpg" alt="Town Hall Clock" border=0></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/35e.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/35e.jpg" alt="Town Hall from the Causeway" border=0></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/35a.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/35a.jpg" alt="Left Hand Coat of Arms" border=0></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/35b.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/35b.jpg" alt="Central Coat of Arms" border=0></A></TD> <TD><A HREF="/images/hh/full/35c.jpg" target="_blank" class="opac" ><IMG SRC="/images/hh/thumbs/35c.jpg" alt="Right Hand Coat of Arms" border=0></A></TD> </TR></TABLE> <P>Around 1958 the clock was replaced. By 1976 it had stopped working for a month when quotes for repair were received. The quote was in excess of £1000 comprising £385 for the actual repair not including the electrician's fees. The striking mechanism was to be renewed at a cost of £600 allowing the chimes to be heard again. A further £70 would silence the bells between 11:00 PM and 07:00 AM. This was considered excessive by the council and public support was requested in support of this expenditure. Source: West Sussex County Times, September 24<SUP>th</SUP> 1976 Some months later the clock came back to life again when local watchmaker Terry Callaghan wound the mechanism up. He estimated that another £40 - 50 would be needed to correct the problems with the mechanism</P> <P>Recently the Town Hall lower floors were used for flea markets and the upper floors are the Horsham Register Office. Plans were being discussed to change the use of the lower floors to a restuarant but these fell through in November 2010 and the future of this much loved building is again uncertain</P> <P>The photos below show Market Square and the Town Hall in c1900 and 1923 respectively</P> <TABLE> <TR><TD> <!--Image from The Francis Frith Collection --> <a href="http://www.francisfrith.com/pageloader.asp?page=/search/photos/viewphotos.asp&townid=h119&cid=10&partner=uk&fpn=6076" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; color: #333333;" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/frith/h119501.jpg" width="300" alt="Horsham, the Town Hall c1900. (Neg. H119501) © Copyright The Francis Frith Collection 2006. http://www.francisfrith.com" style="border: 1px solid #999999;"><br />Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection. </a> <!--End image from The Francis Frith Collection --> </TD><TD> <!--Image from The Francis Frith Collection --> <a href="http://www.francisfrith.com/pageloader.asp?page=/search/photos/viewphotos.asp&townid=h119&cid=10&partner=uk&fpn=6076" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; color: #333333;" target="_blank"> <img src="/images/frith/73406.jpg" width="300" alt="Horsham, Town Hall 1923. (Neg. 73406) © Copyright The Francis Frith Collection 2006. http://www.francisfrith.com" style="border: 1px solid #999999;"><br />Reproduced courtesy of The Francis Frith Collection. </a> <!--End image from The Francis Frith Collection --> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=info > <TR><TD width=19%><P>Fact File</P></TD><TD width=27%><P>Location: <A HREF="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=RH12+1EU&ie=UTF8&ll=51.061964,-0.328313&spn=0.003021,0.008197&om=1" target="_blank">RH12 1EU</A></P></TD><TD width=27%><P> Build Date: 1812</P></TD><TD width=27%><P> Listed: <A HREF="http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=&id=298162" target="_blank">yes</A></P></TD></TR></TABLE> <BR> <TABLE BORDER=0 class=info > <TR><TD><P>External Links:</P> <P><A HREF="http://apps.facebook.com/causes/454379/120350412?m=9e4cc0c7&ref=mf" target="_blank" title="Facebook campaign">Facebook Campaign</A> to prevent the Town Hall from becoming a restaurant and keep it for community use</P> <P><A HREF="http://www.horshammuseum.org/" target="_blank" title="Horsham Museum">Horsham Museum</A></P> <P><A HREF="http://www.horsham.gov.uk/your_area/your_area_529.asp" target="_blank">Horsham Register Office</A></P> <P>Wikipedia - <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Barttelot" target="_blank">Sir Walter Balfour Barttelot</A></P> <P>BBC - <A HREF="http://www.bbc.co.uk/crime/caseclosed/johnhaigh.shtml" target="_blank">John George Haigh</A></P> <P>Wikipedia - <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_George_Haigh" target="_blank">John George Haigh</A> </TD></TR> </TABLE> <H3><A HREF="/34/jurycramp.htm" class=opac><IMG SRC="/images/back.gif" alt="click for the previous image" border=0></A><A HREF="/36/jubileefountain.htm" class=opac><IMG SRC="/images/fwd.gif" alt="click for the next image" border=0></A></H3> <HR> <P>Contributions, comments and suggestions are welcomed. 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