Newtown Old Town Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Newtown Old Town Hall |
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Newtown Old Town Hall
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| Location | Town Lane, Newtown |
| Built | 1699 |
| Architectural style(s) | Tudor style |
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Listed Building – Grade II*
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| Official name: Newtown Town Hall | |
| Designated | 18 January 1967 |
| Reference no. | 1209336 |
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The Old Town Hall in Newtown, Isle of Wight, England, is a historic building. It used to be a place where local government decisions were made. Today, it's a popular spot for visitors to learn about its past. This special building is protected as a Grade II* listed building, meaning it's very important. Even though Newtown is now a small village, its old town hall is looked after by the National Trust.
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A Look Back: The History of Newtown Old Town Hall
Newtown's Early Days
Newtown started growing as a busy trading place in the 1300s. It was known as a borough, which meant it had special rights to govern itself. But in 1377, French raiders attacked the town. This caused a lot of damage, and Newtown struggled to get back on its feet.
To help the town recover, Queen Elizabeth I gave Newtown a special gift in 1584. She allowed it to send two people, called Members of Parliament (MPs), to the country's main government, the UK Parliament. This was meant to boost the town's economy and importance.
Building the Town Hall
In the late 1600s, the leaders of Newtown decided they needed a proper building. This building would be a place to hold important meetings. It would also be where they chose the people who would represent Newtown in Parliament. So, they decided to build a new town hall.
The building was finished around 1699. It was designed in the Tudor style, which was popular at the time. It was built using red bricks. The front of the building, facing Town Lane, had two sections with a door on the ground floor. On the first floor, there were two windows with rounded tops.
The back of the building had a door on the first floor. You could reach this door by walking up an outside stone staircase. Inside, the most important rooms were the council chamber, where meetings were held, and the mayor's parlour, which was the mayor's office.
Famous Visitors and Changes
Over the years, many important people were chosen as MPs in this very town hall. One famous person was George Canning. He was elected here in 1806 and later became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom!
In 1813, a new entrance was added to the town hall. It had four large columns supporting a decorative roof.
Newtown was known as a "rotten borough." This meant that very few people in the town were allowed to vote. Just three powerful families controlled who became an MP. Because of this, the UK Parliament decided that Newtown's right to elect MPs should be taken away. This happened with a new law called the Reform Act 1832.
After this, the town council of Newtown slowly stopped working. It was officially closed down in 1883.
Saving the Old Town Hall
For many years, the Old Town Hall was not looked after. It started to fall apart. But in 1933, a special architect named John Eric Miers Macgregor helped save it. He was an expert in fixing old buildings.
The money for these repairs came from a very interesting group called Ferguson's Gang. This was a mysterious group of young women who gave money to help save historic places. They gave the Newtown Old Town Hall to the National Trust. The National Trust is a charity that looks after important places in England.
Ferguson's Gang also arranged for the building to be used as a Youth Hostel for 15 years. A Youth Hostel is a place where young people can stay cheaply while traveling. Today, you can visit the Old Town Hall and see an exhibition about the amazing things Ferguson's Gang did. It's a popular place for tourists, especially during the summer.
