Old Town Hall, Pwllheli

The building was originally constructed as a guildhall in about 1731.^[2] In 1820, it was reconstructed as a market hall, with an arcade on the ground floor, a gaol in the basement, and a council chamber on the upper floor. It was remodelled in 1836, and in about 1880 a clock tower was added.^[1][3] The future Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, gave his first public speech to a group of local farmers in this building on market day in 1884.^[4][5][6]

However, by the turn of the century the building was deemed too small and civic officials decided to commission a new structure nearby, on the north side of Penlan Street.^[7][8] In 1902, the council moved to the new building, which is now known as Neuadd Dwyfor, and sold the old town hall to the Pwllheli Liberal Club.^[9] The building was grade II listed in 1949.^[1] In the 1950s, the ground floor of the building was used for a while by a firm of corn merchants, Prichard Ellis.^[10]

Following local government re-organisation in 1974,^[11] the town council established its offices in the Old Town Hall,^[9] where it continues to be accommodated and hold its meetings.^[12][13]

The two-storey building is four bays wide, with its gable end facing Market Square. It is built of stone, with brick chimneys and a slate roof. The first floor has 12-pane sash windows, and there is a ventilator to the attic. The ground floor was formerly open, now closed by a glazed screen. It has paired semicircular arches, on the longer facade flanked by smaller arches. There is an octagonal clocktower with a belfry.^[14] The clock mechanism was designed and manufactured by Whitehouse & Son of Derby. Inside, there are octagonal piers, which are said to have originally been ships' masts. There is a council chamber, featuring a panelled ceiling, on the first floor.^[1]