Many newcomers to Brentwood have shown interest in the newly remodelled Town Hall in the Ingrave Road, pictured below in its green glow, but in 1957 when the original building was completed, it brought Britain's most famous architectual historian Sir Professor Nikolaus Pevsner to our town on one of his famous research visits. He described it in his book The Buildings of Essex as ‘long, three storeys, in the
Neo-Georgian manner learnt by Brandon-Jones in the 1930s from Cowels-Voysey. Matching extension at the south end by
Brandon-Jones & Andrew Thorne, 1983-4. Load-bearing with pantile roof. Very
old-fashioned, but Brentwood’s councillors spent their money wisely.’
On October 30 1957 Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip opened the newly-built Council Offices in Ingrave Road. Expansion and changes to the town
over the next sixty years enabled Brentwood to include a dozen surrounding
villages within its district boundaries, transforming the appearance of the
town itself. The High Street underwent major building developments from the
1960s onward and with it the work of the Council officers and their staff. Alterations occurred in the intervening
years, particularly in 1993 when the town gained Borough status (and adopted
CCTV, the first in Essex).
Our Council Offices became known officially as
Brentwood Town Hall. Carefully
treasured for over 30 years, the huge old Victorian-built clock was brought out
of retirement and re-hung on the front of the Town Hall. Major building
improvement work took place mainly in the High Street and adjacent roads.
Last year, the residents of the
Borough once again witnessed another major change to their centre of
administration when the brand newly remodelled Town Hall opens its doors to
serve its 77,000 resident.
Around this time, my latest book Brentwood in 50 Buildings was commissioned by Amberley Publishing, a copy of which was presented to HRH The Duke of Kent at the re-opening celebrations last February, just before the first pandemic lockdown began. Readers can see images of before and after re-modelling; also views of the very first Town Hall when its address was in Brentwood High Street.
Next week, I will be signing copies of this my twelfth commissioned book in Waterstones Bookshop at their new address in Brentwood High Street.
www.sylviakent.blogspot.com
