Town Hall

Chipping Sodbury Town Hall is a Grade II listed civic building on Broad Street in Chipping Sodbury, a small market town in South Gloucestershire, England. Today it works as an events venue and is also where Chipping Sodbury Town Council holds its meetings.

What is Chipping Sodbury Town Hall?

It is the town's main municipal building, standing in the wide Broad Street that gives the old market town its character. The word "Chipping" in the town's name comes from an old English term for a market, and a public building on the main street fits that trading past well. The hall is not a museum: it is in everyday use for local life, from council business to events open to the community.

A short history of the building

A guildhall is recorded on this site in the 15th century, and one local gazetteer dates the original guild hall to 1452. Over the centuries the building was altered more than once. It was re-fronted in 1738, in the style of the 18th century, and then remodelled again in 1858, when it received a new façade designed in the Perpendicular Gothic style, the late medieval English manner known for its upright lines and large, regular windows.

The result is a building whose appearance largely reflects the Victorian remodelling, while its history goes back far earlier. That layering of centuries is typical of English town halls, which were rarely built once and left untouched.

What to look for

• The gabled front. The façade of 1858 is crowned by a gable, a defining feature of the street frontage.
• The central doorway. The entrance is a four-centred arch, a flattened, Tudor-style pointed arch typical of Gothic Revival and late medieval work.
• Its place on Broad Street. The hall sits among the historic buildings lining the street, so it is easy to include in a walk along the town's main axis.

Can you go inside?

Because the hall hosts events and council meetings, access depends on what is on. If you want to see the interior, check the town council's information or the programme of events before you travel. The exterior can be admired at any time from the street.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Chipping Sodbury Town Hall? On Broad Street in the centre of Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire.

Is the building listed? Yes, it has Grade II listed status.

How old is it? A town hall or guildhall has stood on the site since the 15th century. The present front dates from the 1858 remodelling, after an earlier re-fronting in 1738.

What is it used for today? It is an events venue and the meeting place of Chipping Sodbury Town Council.

What architectural style is the façade? Perpendicular Gothic, in the revived form popular in the mid 19th century.

Visiting tips

Chipping Sodbury is a compact town, and the Town Hall is easy to reach on foot from the High Street and Broad Street. It makes a good stop on a stroll through the historic centre, alongside the other listed buildings that line the main street. Allow only a short time for the exterior, and longer if you plan to combine it with the town's shops, cafes and market-town atmosphere.