Town Hill, Wrexham

No. 5 '''''' is a Grade II listed building located on the south side of Town Hill, adjacent to the Church Street junction. The building forms a single build with No. 7, with which the two may have originally formed a single larger property. No. 5 was built as a house, likely in the early 16th-century, with the building divided into No. 5 and No. 7 in , while a rear range was added or rebuilt in . Its exterior is render over a timber frame, while its rear wing is made of brick, and both have slate roofs. There is square panel framing on the upper gable wall, which was exposed when the adjacent property was demolished. The building is two-storeys tall, with a two-window range. Its shop front was inserted in 1927 and was made by Pollard of London. There are some traces of the building's original timber-framed structure visible from its first floor. In the 1990s, the building underwent a restoration which revealed that some of its internal panelling was marked with the date 1681, and remains of a possible priest hole. It is one of only two Grade II* buildings in the city centre. In the 1990s, it underwent renovation, exposing much of the original timber work of the building. It notably housed the ''Dodman's'' shoe shop. == History ==

to the right. The street is located on higher ground, just to the north of St Giles' Church. It forms part of a crossroads at the centre of Wrexham, between Church Street, High Street and Hope Street. The street widens from its junction with Abbot Street to the crossroads junction. This was the site of the old town hall, built in 1713 and demolished in 1940. Many of the buildings lining the street are listed buildings. Long, narrow, possibly medieval, burgess plots had been identified on the street, highlighting the street's medieval connections, forming part of Wrexham's medieval core. Now located at the bottom of Town Hill is a welfare centre, formerly a toilet block, called . Opened in December 2015, it provides assistance to individuals attending local nightlife venues in the area. In February 2020, the Daily Post reported that it was the tenth highest street in North Wales for attacks and assaults, likely due to it being part of Wrexham's hub of bars, clubs and pubs. In 2024, the street was pedestrianised, alongside three other city centre streets. == Town Hall (1713–1940) ==

}} }} The Town Hall (), historically the Shire Hall, was a municipal building in Wrexham, Wales. It was located on Town Hill in the city centre. A building on the site can be traced to the 16th century, with the then Shire hall building serving as a courthouse. In 1713, the building was rebuilt, while it stopped providing court functions later in the 18th century, increasingly being utilised by tenants and for public events. Part of the building shortly served as a militia depot, while by 1820 it began being described as a Town Hall. Prior to demolition, the building was a warehouse, market and billiard hall. It was demolished in 1940 as part of the widening of Town Hill to alleviate traffic congestion in the area, especially as neighbouring High Street served as a bus terminal. A small alley was located next to it called Back Chamber Street (see ) until demolition. Building history Shirehall The Shire Hall had stood on the same site since the reign of Henry VIII (16th century). It was used as a Magistrates' court and a meeting place, while a 1705 statement records the Shirehall was built on lands belonging to the Crown. Although one of the earliest mentions of the site was in 1562, when it was called "The Common Hall" and "Hall of Pleas". This medieval building had nine shops and an open space located beneath it. Located on top was the hall, the Grand Chamber, which was reserved for the Crown, and this was used for hosting the Great sessions and Quarter sessions. It was also used by the courts of the manor of Wrexham Regis (superseding the older courthouse of the manor located at The Parkey) and possibly the neighbouring manor of the Lordship of Bromfield and Yale. It is also possible that some of the hall (and the nearby "Hand Inn") was built on church land. This was mentioned in a 1663 quarter session held at the hall, stating "some of this said courthouse or building [stands] on the church land". This church's land ownership was likely due to the fact that when the site was extended westward, it extended onto land that required a payment to the churchwardens. Demolition Prior to its demolition, the building had a "flourish[ing]" bonded warehouse, which raised concerns just weeks before the building's demolition. The first floor of the building was a "fine chamber", which hosted many courts over the years, but in its final years was home to the Wrexham Billiard Hall. The lower floor was an open-sided market, a custom of many halls of the period, still having the nine shops. == Other buildings ==

Located to the northern side of the Town Hall, was a small street called Back Chamber Street. Originally called Black Chamber Street, likely connected to a 16th-century lord's prison called , which was possibly part of the Shirehall/Town Hall. The use of "Back" over "Black" is merely a newer name for the same lane. specifically between the north side of the old Hand Inn and the Town Hall. One of Wrexham's early commercial breweries, possibly the earliest, was the Albion Brewery and it was located at the bottom of Town Hill at its junction with Bridge Street. Near the bottom also lies College Street, with the Cambrian Vaults Public House (The Parish) on the junction. ==References==