Multi-million pound refurbishment of historic town hall reaches major milestone
A major milestone in the refurbishment of the historic Grade II listed Trowbridge Town Hall has been reached, with the installation of the new roof now underway.Following the removal of the existing battens and roof tiles, temporary weatherproofing has been installed by main contractor, Beard to avoid any rain entering the building during preliminary works.
Beard has now started on the base layer for the new roof of the Great Hall, with more than 250m² completed already.
The roof is made up of two layers of insulation, cement board, plywood and slate for a significant improvement in both thermal and acoustic performance. The roof works are set to continue over the coming months.
Coinciding with these works a temporary bus shelter is being installed at the temporary bus stop in Silver Street. This is linked to the improvement works started at Manvers Street. As a result, a road closure on Silver Street (before the turning into Market Street) is planned for Thursday 18 January 2024, from 7pm until midnight to enable this installation to take place. Access during this period will be for emergency access only.
Meanwhile, internal demolition has been ongoing and is nearing completion. Beard has knocked down the existing offices and internal walls, lift shaft and staircase to fully open up The Great Hall, while the removal of the suspended ceiling has revealed the original king roof trusses and vaulted ceiling.
In addition to removing the old cells and blockwork walls found in the basement, specialist stonemasons have begun the critical restoration and repairs to preserve the external stonework.
Beard remains on track to complete the multi-million-pound transformation in the summer of 2025. Once completed, the historic Grade II listed building will serve as a cultural and creative hub for the local community and an eye-catching live music venue.
Phil Alford, Wiltshire Council’s cabinet member for strategic assets, said: “We are very pleased with the progress being made and the care and attention being taken to protect the historic features during the works. Now that the Great Hall is fully opened up, it looks amazing and together with the
“One of our key aims is making sure our towns are resilient, ensuring our communities are able to grow sustainably with access to leisure, arts, heritage and culture. It’s great to see the Town Hall shaping up to be once again the landmark cultural venue in the centre of Trowbridge. This is one of several big investments and development opportunities in and around the town leading to a new sense of confidence for the town’s future.
“Cabinet put local residents at the heart of its decision making when it confirmed in September 2022 that Trowbridge Town Hall Trust will be the end user of the building once the works are complete and will be granted a 125-year lease to secure the long-term future of this much loved cultural and community asset.”
Jamie Harwood, director at Beard, said: “Work has been progressing very well at Trowbridge Town Hall and we thank the council, the local residents and all stakeholders for their patience and continued support. As we embark on this significant next step in the project timeline, we are working very hard to minimise disruption and keep everybody safe. Protecting this important building also remains a priority too.
“All parties can rest assured that the work being undertaken is many months in the making, with extensive planning, preparation and stakeholder engagement. This is built on our decades of experience in completing complex renovation and restoration projects, including high-profile listed buildings across the region and further afield. We look forward to sharing more progress very soon.”
The refurbishment of the Town Hall forms part of the £16 million investment in Trowbridge town centre via the government’s Future High Streets Fund.
