Chard’s impressive Guildhall was opened in 1835. The building was designed by Taunton architect Richard Carver to combine the roles of town hall and market, and was a replacement for an old building on another site. Its grand double order of classical columns – Tuscan below, Doric above – dominates this stretch of the street and the very plain classical design of Ham stone columns and pediment could perhaps look a trifle sombre. But it’s topped by a little clock tower and cupola that set a different mood – still classical in design but slightly less straight-laced – and useful, originally, as few passers-by would have worn a watch.
One can imagine this building as the heart of the town, when the market was the focus of everyone’s shopping. I can also imagine the platform on the upper floor being a perfect stage for proclamations and election speeches. Something akin to the mixture of farce and seriousness that attends the election at the memorably named Eatanswill in Dickens’s Pickwick Papers comes to mind – though perhaps in real life there would have been less of the farce… Elections or no, this facade certainly makes a statement. Few towns the size of Chard can boast such a memorable building as their town hall, set among the shops of its main street.
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2 comments:
The stone must have been very handsome in its time. Can the original colour be restored?
I presume from the colour that it isn't Ham Hill stone throughout. Personally, I don't find Neo-Classical "strait-laced" at all, when interpreted with sympathy. J.S.Curl's book "Classical Architecture" and looking at examples with a fresh eye gave me the clue. Tuscan below and Doric above is trying to say something - business on the ground floor, "wisdom" debate, etc. on the floor above. A pity there aren't more buildings that try to use the language of Neo-Classical architecture - too many compromises, like the truncated effort in Warminster's main street or suddenly using a garish local stone in one part of the building - which could successfully be used throughout. We freely acknowledge that building in Italian marble isn't feasible, but according to Curl you can be really original and creative within the finely-tuned Classical rules.With a book of rules and some whitish concrete, you could certainly do better than some of the monstrosities currently being put up at immense cost - and probably save money too! And know where the way in is supposed to be!
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