Visiting the Former Wimbledon Town Hall, Merton, London: Neoclassicism Executed in Portland Stone, Dating From 1931

This elegant former Town Hall at Wimbledon, in London's Borough of Merton, was begun in 1928 and completed in 1931. Executed in Portland stone, and designed by A J Hope of Bradshaw, Gass and Hope (1), of Bolton, the building exhibits a clean Neoclassicism.

This particular building was the responsibility of architect A. J. Hope (1875-1960)(3).

Conspicuous features of its Broadway, Wimbledon elevation include a slate mansard roof, and very large Doric pilasters (3)(4).

The former Borough of Wimbledon was absorbed into the London Borough of Merton, and the former Town Hall, situated adjacent to Wimbledon Broadway Station, is now a shopping complex.

Wimbledon is within the historical County of Surrey, but its link with Surrey County Council was broken in 1965 when it was incorporated into the London Borough of Merton. The history of this building is therefore tied to the fact of London's great, urban expansion in the 20th century, which caused the local administration of which the former Wimbledon Town Hall was the hub, to become absorbed into its new London Borough.

Contrary to persistent belief, the Town Hall area close to Wimbledon Station is not within easy walking distance of Wimbledon Tennis, for which separate travel arrangements should be made for visitors wishing to visit the former Wimbledon Town Hall complex.

May 4, 2019

Notes

(1) Other works by Bradshaw Gass and Hope include Trafford Town Hall (opposite Old Trafford Cricket Ground), the Sackville Street Building (former UMIST Main Building) Manchester (see also Link, below), Luton Town Hall, and very many others.

(2) Architect Hope served as President of the Manchester Society of Architects in 1924. While anecdotally he was regarded by some junior colleagues as a formidable, even intimidating, figure, he was undoubtedly a major figure among British traditionalist architects; he specialized in Neoclassicism.

(3) See also: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1358018

(4) As per the design, the Doric pilasters are not weight bearing and thus do not strictly qualify as 'columns' or 'pillars'.

Some sourcing: Wikipedia

London has such huge numbers of visitor attractions that I will refer to only a small fraction of the principal ones; these include: Trafalgar Square; the Houses of Parliament at the Palace of Westminster; Westminster Abbey; St. Paul's Cathedral; the Royal Albert Hall; and many others.

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How to get there

United Airlines flies from New York Newark Airport to London Heathrow Airport, where car rental is available. Underground and train services link Heathrow Airport with Central London. The former Wimbledon Town Hall is adjacent to Wimbledon Station, The Broadway, Wimbledon, SW19 is accessible from Central London via the District Underground line and via mainline rail services from London Waterloo and London Blackfriars. Please note that some facilities may be withdrawn, without notice. You are advised to check with the airline or your travel agent for up to date information.

MJFenn is an independent travel writer based in Ontario, Canada