Ripley Town Hall is a municipal building in Main Street, Ripley, North Yorkshire, England. The structure, which is used as an events venue and as a post office, is a grade II listed building.[1]
| Ripley Town Hall | |
|---|---|
 Ripley Town Hall | |
| Location | Main Street, Ripley |
| Coordinates | 54°02′26″N 1°34′00″W / 54.0406°N 1.5666°W |
| Built | 1854 |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic Revival style |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
| Official name | Post Office, Town Hall |
| Designated | 15 March 1966 |
| Reference no. | 1174009 |
.svg)  Shown in North Yorkshire | |
History edit
In the mid-19th century the lord of the manor, Sir William Amcotts-Ingilby, developed a plan to redevelop Ripley in the style of an Alsatian village; the final building in his plan was the town hall which he wanted to resemble a French "Hôtel de Ville".[2] The new building was designed in the Gothic Revival style, built in ashlar stone and was completed in late 1854.[1]
The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto Main Street; the central bay featured a two-tier canted bay window with tracery and a crenelated parapet inscribed with the words "Hôtel de Ville 1854". The central bay was flanked by corner turrets and was surmounted by a stepped gable with a commemorative plaque, held in place by the figure of an angel. The plaque recorded the fact that, while Amcotts-Ingilby initiated the project, his wife completed it following his death in May 1854. The outer bays, which were recessed and crenelated, featured three-light windows with tracery on both floors. Internally, the principal rooms were the main assembly hall and an ante-room.[3]
In the 19th century, the building was used as venue for public meetings and for meetings of the local literary institution.[3] It continued to operate as a community events venue for throughout the 20th century, and an upper floor was installed in the building in the 1960s to allow more social functions to take place.[4] A post office was also established in the right-hand side bay.[1]
Activity significantly increased after the local promotor, Andy Herrington, established the Ripley Blues Club there in the late 1990s:[5] one of the first performers he attracted was the blues band, Nine Below Zero, in September 1999.[6] An extensive programme of refurbishment works, financed by bodies which included the Heritage Lottery Fund, was completed in 2004.[7] The works received recognition from the Duke of York's Community Initiative Award in 2007[8] and, following the re-opening of the town hall, later performers there included the American singer-songwriter, Steve Cropper, in November 2014,[9] the rock band, Magna Carta, in September 2017[10] and the pub rock band, Dr. Feelgood, in December 2017.[11]
References edit
- ^ a b c Historic England. "Post Office, Town Hall (1174009)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ "Ripley... home of the blues". The Yorkshire Post. 7 October 2005. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ a b Sheahan, James Joseph (1871). History and Topography of the Wapentake of Claro, being a supplementary volume to T. Whellan & Co's. History of York and the North Riding. John Green. p. 229.
- ^ "Ripley: Conservation Area Character Appraisal". Harrogate Borough Council. 25 November 2009. p. 8. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Retro: Yes, Judas Priest, Jethro Tull & the days of hard rock in Harrogate". The Yorkshire Post. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Harrogate village attracts world's biggest music acts". Harrogate Advertiser. 14 January 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Ripley, Yorkshire". Britain Express. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "The Duke of York". Ripley Star Club. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Steve Cropper tour with Animals and Friends". Get Ready To Rock. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Legendary Yorkshire rock star joins village's housing protest". Harrogate Advertiser. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Past Events". Ripley Live. Retrieved 12 March 2022.