The Old Town Hall

The Old Town Hall stands in Hemel Hempstead’s High Street as a Grade II listed municipal building. Its origins lie in a market place established under a charter from Henry VIII in 1539. By the early 19th century the market hall had become a row of corn lofts on pillars, with a courtroom at one end. In 1825 a town hall was added at the centre of this structure. After parts were demolished in 1851, George Low designed a new building in the Jacobean style, completed the same year. The symmetrical façade has five bays, a central portico with Corinthian columns, and a first-floor bay window topped by a gable. The town hall was extended twice more in the 19th century. In 1861 an extra bay created a corn exchange with ground-floor arcading. A southern extension in 1868 added a four-stage tower with an octagonal upper stage for municipal offices. A stone plaque on the front records the 1888 enlargement of the market place. Population growth followed the arrival of two railway stations in 1837 and 1877, and in 1898 the building became the headquarters of the new municipal borough. It served as the council seat for much of the 20th century before becoming a theatre in 1978 and an arts centre after refurbishment in 1986. Visitors find a Jacobean-style façade of red brick and stone dressings facing the High Street. Inside, the symmetrical plan and classical details remain clearly visible. The former corn exchange shows the original arcading on the ground floor. The four-stage tower rises above the southern end, its octagonal top adding a distinctive silhouette. The 1888 plaque on the front marks the enlarged market place. The building now hosts arts events, continuing its role as a community landmark.