[Illustration: The Town Hall, Shrewsbury]
We give an illustration of the town hall of Shrewsbury, a notable
building and well worthy of study as a specimen of a municipal
building erected at the close of the sixteenth century. The style is
that of the Renaissance with the usual mixture of debased Gothic and
classic details, but the general effect is imposing; the arches and
parapet are especially characteristic. An inscription over the arch at
the north end records:--
"The xv^{th} day of June was this building begonne, William Jones
and Thomas Charlton, Gent, then Bailiffes, and was erected and
covered in their time, 1595."
A full description of this building is given in Canon Auden's history
of the town. He states that "under the clock is the statue of Richard
Duke of York, father of Edward IV, which was removed from the old
Welsh Bridge at its demolition in 1791. This is flanked by an
inscription recording this fact on the one side, and on the other by
the three leopards' heads which are the arms of the town. On the other
end of the building is a sun-dial, and also a sculptured angel holding
a shield on which are the arms of England and France. This was removed
from the gate of the town, which stood at the foot of the castle, on
its demolition in 1825.
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