Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall
{{Short description|Municipal building in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall
| native_name =
| image = Town Hall, Market Street, Ashby-de-la-Zouch (geograph 5862545).jpg
| caption= Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall
| locmapin =Leicestershire
| map_caption =Shown in Leicestershire
| coordinates ={{coord| 52.7474|-1.4701|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| location = Market Street, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
| area =
| built = 1857
| architect = Henry Isaac Stevens
| architecture = Italianate style
| designation1 =Grade II Listed Building
| designation1_offname = Town Hall
| designation1_date =29 September 1977
| designation1_number = 1073608
| website=
}}
Ashby-de-la-Zouch Town Hall is a municipal building in Market Street in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, England. The structure, which was used as the offices of Ashby-de-la-Zouch Urban District Council, is a Grade II listed building.{{NHLE|desc=Town Hall|num=1073608|access-date=10 February 2022}} The market hall, which is located behind the town hall, is separately listed.{{NHLE|desc=Market Hall|num=1361590| access-date=10 February 2022}}
History
In the first half of the 19th century, petty session hearings were held in a detached building in the grounds of the George Inn in Market Street.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2xRcAAAAQAAJ&pg=IA22 |title= Accounts and Papers |volume=25|publisher=House of Lords|year=1849}}{{NHLE|desc=50 Market Street|num= 1361572| access-date=10 February 2022}} After finding this arrangement unsatisfactory, a group of local business leaders decided to form a company to commission a purpose-built complex for holding public meetings, court hearings and markets.{{cite web|url= https://forebears.io/england/leicestershire/ashby-de-la-zouch |title=Ashby-de-la-Zouch|publisher= Kelly's Directory of Leicestershire & Rutland |year=1899}} The new complex was designed by Henry Isaac Stevens in the Italianate style, built in ashlar stone and was completed in 1857.{{cite web|url=https://www.nwleics.gov.uk/files/documents/ashby_de_la_zouch_conservation_appraisal/Ashby%20de%20la%20Zouch%20Conservation%20Appraisal.pdf |title= Ashby-de-la-Zouch Conservation Area Appraisal and study|date=1 April 2001 |page=19|publisher= North West Leicestershire District Council| access-date=10 February 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1gYHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA857 |title=Ashby-de-la-Zouch|year=1869 |publisher=The English Cyclopaedia |page=858}}
The design of the town hall, which was at the front of the complex, involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto Market Street. The ground floor, which was rusticated, featured an elliptical opening with a keystone, which provided access to the market hall and was flanked by two sash windows. The first floor was fenestrated by sash windows with brackets supporting cornices; these windows were flanked by pilasters supporting an entablature, a modillioned cornice and a balustrade. Internally, the principal room was the assembly room on the first floor, which became the local venue for both petty session hearings and county court hearings.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PoKnpdjOfIMC&pg=PA155 |title= Statute law repeals nineteenth report, draft Statute Law (Repeals) Bill |publisher= Law Commission|year= 2012|isbn= 9780101833028 }} In October 1859, it was also consecrated as the home of the local freemasons' lodge in the presence of the Provincial Grand Master, Earl Howe.{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=alMFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA295 |title=Leicestershire: Consecration of the Ferrars and Ivanhoe Lodge, Ashby-de-la-Zouch (No. 1081)|publisher=Freemasons Magazine and Masonic Mirror|date=15 October 1859}} The building was described in Wilson's Imperial Gazetteer as a "noble edifice".{{cite web|url= https://www.parishmouse.co.uk/leicestershire/ashby-de-la-zouch-leicestershire-family-history-guide/ |title= The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales |last=Wilson|first=John M. |publisher=A. Fullarton & Co. |year=1872}} The other main part of the complex, the market hall, extended back for 14 bays behind the town hall.
Following a significant increase in population, largely associated with the leather working industry, the area became an urban district with the town hall as its headquarters in 1894.{{cite web |url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10002953 |title=Ashby-de-la-Zouche UD |publisher=Vision of Britain |access-date=10 February 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121224080754/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10002953 |archive-date=24 December 2012 |url-status=dead}} The town hall then continued to serve as the meeting place of the urban district council{{London Gazette|issue=40597|page=5495|date=30 September 1955}} and as a local venue for civic events{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V1mIAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT16 |title=Ashby-de-la-Zouch Through Time|first=Stephen|last=Butt|publisher=Amberley Publishing|year=2012|isbn=978-1445626697}} for much of the 20th century, but ceased to be the local seat of government when the enlarged North West Leicestershire District Council was formed in 1974.{{cite book|title=Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70|publisher=The Stationery Office Ltd|isbn=0-10-547072-4|year=1997}} The town hall was subsequently converted for retail use with the first floor room later becoming the showroom of a picture framing business.{{cite web|url=https://ashbymarket.co.uk/gallery|title= Ashby Picture Framing and Gallery Art |publisher=Ashby Market| access-date=10 February 2022}}