Bridgwater Town Hall is a complex of listed and unlisted buildings occupying several neighbouring plots in the historic centre of Bridgwater. The street fronting range was built in the 1820s and has a fine Regency façade, and currently houses the Town Council offices. Behind this is the Hall itself - built in the 1860s, subsequently converted into a theatre auditorium and now home to a thriving roster of events including the acclaimed annual Carnival Concerts programme.

In 2021 Sedgemoor District Council secured £23.2m of funding to deliver the ‘Town Deal’; 11 public projects across Bridgwater with the ambition to revitalise the town centre. Primary amongst these is the refurbishment of the historic Town Hall, its theatre auditorium and existing underused spaces in neighbouring plots.

In spring 2023 Connolly Wellingham were appointed as Architects and Design Team Leaders following a national open call for expressions of interest. Works will include upgrades to accessibility and energy efficiency, as well as new office spaces and a revitalised public foyer – a new civic space for the town.

The works to the auditorium are designed to upgrade the facilities of the space as a venue for theatrical performance (including new lighting rig, audio visual equipment and audience seating), as well as re-establishing its former ‘multi-function’ flexibility as a hall for the town – reinstating natural light through the former ceiling lanterns and servicing the space for a myriad of new daytime uses.  

Listed Building Consent was submitted in 2023, targeting commencement of construction before the end of 2024, ahead of a rolling programme of phased works across 2025.

Cover image: Guy Fawkes Parade at Bridgwater c.1883