Andover Guildhall

The first guildhall in Andover was built in around 1513{{cite book|last=Warmington|first= R.|year= 1970 |title=Timber Framed Buildings in Andover |publisher=Andover Local Archives Committee|page=2}} and remodelled in 1574.Warmington 1970, p. 12 A new guildhall was erected in 1724, brick-built with a tiled roof, topped by a wooden cupola containing a clock and the market bell.{{cite news |last1=Borrett |first1=David |title=The story of Andover's four Guildhalls |url=https://www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk/news/20069362.david-borrett-feature-story-andovers-four-guildhalls/ |access-date=8 March 2025 |work=Andover Advertiser |date=17 April 2022}}

By the early 19th century it had become dilapidated and civic leaders decided to erect a more substantial structure on the same site.{{cite web|url=https://documents.hants.gov.uk/archaeology/28474-AndoverExtensiveUrbanSurvey.pdf |title=Andover Archaeological Assessment|publisher=Hampshire County Council|access-date=18 March 2021}} The new building was designed in the neoclassical style by John Harris Langdon, built in ashlar stone and was completed in 1825.{{cite book|title=Buildings of England: Hampshire and the Isle of Wight|last1= Pevsner|first1= Nikolaus |last2= Lloyd |first2=David|year=1967|publisher=Penguin|isbn=978-0140710328|page=80}} The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing south down the High Street; the central section of three bays, which slightly projected forward and was rusticated, featured three round headed openings on the ground floor and three sash windows on the first floor flanked by Doric order columns supporting an entablature, a frieze and a large pediment. The frieze featured circular decorations above the columns and also recorded the date of completion. At roof level, there was originally a central clock tower (containing a clock by George Yonge of the Strand); but this was removed due to structural problems in 1904 (the clock was reinstalled in the centre of the pediment).

In November 1830, during the Swing Riots, a group of 300 protesting agricultural labourers set off from the Angel Inn in Andover for Taskers Foundry at Upper Clatford where they destroyed much of the machinery:{{cite web|url=http://www.myfamilymatters.org.uk/page65.html |title=The Upper Clatford ‘Swing Riot’ – 1830|publisher=My Family Matters| access-date=18 March 2021}} the foundry must have recovered because the floor in the guildhall was strengthened with iron columns from the foundry in 1834.{{cite web|url=https://loveandover.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Love-Andover-Observer-November-19th.pdf |title=Taskers and the Andover Riots|date=19 November 2020|publisher=Love Andover Observer|page=22|first=David|last=Denny|access-date=18 March 2021}} The town hall was again at the centre of a riot in 1914, when magistrates imprisoned a teenager, Phyllis Beckenham, and her mother for non-payment of fines after, against the wishes of the court, she had accosted a shopkeeper, the supposed father of her child: a group of some 2,000 protestors, who supported the teenager, ransacked many of the shops in the High Street.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailyecho.co.uk/heritage/11615663.there-were-riots-in-the-streets-of-andover-after-a-teenager-claimed-a-shop-owner-was-her-babys-father/ |title=There were riots in the streets of Andover after a teenager claimed a shop owner was her baby’s father|date=20 November 2014|publisher=Southern Daily Echo| access-date=18 March 2021}}

During the First World War, recruitment rallies took place outside the town hall to attract potential soldiers for Kitchener's Army.{{cite web|url= https://www.womenslandarmy.co.uk/ww1-recruitment-rally-andover-hampshire-191617/ |title= World War I Recruitment Rally, Andover, Hampshire 1916/17|publisher=Women's Land Army & Timber Corps| access-date=18 March 2021}} A war memorial, designed by Captain Herbert Cowley to commemorate the lives of local service personnel who had died in the First World War, was unveiled in front of the guildhall by the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Major General J. E. B. Seely, on 5 May 1920.{{cite web|url= https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/21485 |title=Andover Cenotaph|publisher=Imperial War Museum| access-date=18 March 2021}} In preparation for an expansion scheme, which did not ultimately proceed, the war memorial was relocated to St Mary's Churchyard in 1956.{{NHLE|desc=Andover War Memorial|num=1402345| access-date=18 March 2021}}

The guildhall continued to serve as the headquarters of Andover Borough Council for much of the 20th century.{{cite web|url=https://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10061740 |title=Andover MB|publisher=Vision of Britain|accessdate=18 March 2021}} In 1947 Andover Borough Council bought a large house called Beech Park on Weyhill Road to serve as its main offices, but continued to hold its meetings at the guildhall. In 1974 Andover Borough Council merged with other nearby authorities to become Test Valley District Council (renamed Test Valley Borough Council in 1976).{{cite book|title=Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70|publisher=The Stationery Office Ltd|isbn=0-10-547072-4|year=1997}}{{London Gazette|issue=46841|page=3333|date=4 March 1976}} Test Valley Borough Council has its main offices in a modern building at Beech Park, built in 1990 on the site of the old house. However, full council meetings are not held at Beech Park, but alternately at Andover Guildhall and in Romsey, the other main town in Test Valley.{{cite news |last1=Borrett |first1=David |title=Andover History: The tale of the mighty Beech Hurst |url=https://www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk/news/19091078.mighty-beech-hurst/ |access-date=19 July 2022 |work=Andover Advertiser |date=20 February 2021}}{{cite web |title=Council agenda, 8 June 2022 |url=https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&MId=3256 |website=Test Valley Borough Council |access-date=19 July 2022 |quote=Venue: Upper Guildhall, High Street, Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1NT}}{{cite web |title=Council agenda, 6 April 2022 |url=https://democracy.testvalley.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=136&MId=3227 |website=Test Valley Borough Council |access-date=19 July 2022 |quote=Venue: Crosfield Hall, Broadwater Road, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 8GL}} Andover Guildhall is also used for some meetings of Andover Town Council.{{cite web |title=Meetings |url=https://andover-tc.gov.uk/meetings/archive |website=Andover Town Council |access-date=19 July 2022}}

A petition was launched in around 2014 to move the war memorial back in front of the guildhall where it would be more visible{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-35487902 |title=Dispute over Andover war memorial's location|date=3 February 2016|newspaper=BBC| access-date=18 March 2021}} but, after several debates over the issue, the council announced that it had no plans to resturn the memorial to its original position.{{cite news|url= https://www.romseyadvertiser.co.uk/news/andover/18870418.no-plans-move-andover-war-memorial-guildhall/ |title= 'No plans' to move Andover War Memorial to Guildhall|date=13 November 2020|newspaper=Romsey Advertiser| access-date=18 March 2021}} The ground floor of the town hall was converted for use as a restaurant in 2010{{cite news|url= https://www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk/news/8239591.restaurant-at-andover-guildhall-to-open-in-late-summer/ |title= Restaurant at Andover Guildhall to open in 'late summer'|date=25 June 2010|newspaper=Andover Advertiser| access-date=18 March 2021}} but the main assembly hall on the first floor, known as the Upper Guildhall, remains available for community use.{{cite news|url= https://www.andoveradvertiser.co.uk/yoursay/15081246.andover-and-history-and-archaeology-society/ |title= Andover and History and Archaeology Society|date=9 February 2017|newspaper=Andover Advertiser| access-date=18 March 2021}}

{{reflist}}

Category:Government buildings completed in 1825

Category:City and town halls in Hampshire

Category:Andover, Hampshire

Category:Grade II* listed buildings in Hampshire