In the mid-19th century the lord of the manor, Sir William Amcotts-Ingilby, developed a plan to redevelop Ripley in the style of an Alsatian village; the final building in his plan was the town hall which he wanted to resemble a French "Hôtel de Ville".[2] The new building was designed in the Gothic Revival style, built in ashlar stone and was completed in late 1854.[1]
The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto Main Street; the central bay featured a two-tier canted bay window with tracery and a crenelated parapet inscribed with the words "Hôtel de Ville 1854". The central bay was flanked by corner turrets and was surmounted by a stepped gable with a commemorative plaque, held in place by the figure of an angel. The plaque recorded the fact that, while Amcotts-Ingilby initiated the project, his wife completed it following his death in May 1854. The outer bays, which were recessed and crenelated, featured three-light windows with tracery on both floors. Internally, the principal rooms were the main assembly hall and an ante-room.[3]
In the 19th century, the building was used as venue for public meetings and for meetings of the local literary institution.[3] It continued to operate as a community events venue for throughout the 20th century, and an upper floor was installed in the building in the 1960s to allow more social functions to take place.[4] A post office was also established in the right-hand side bay.[1]
Activity significantly increased after the local promotor, Andy Herrington, established the Ripley Blues Club there in the late 1990s:[5] one of the first performers he attracted was the blues band, Nine Below Zero, in September 1999.[6] An extensive programme of refurbishment works, financed by bodies which included the Heritage Lottery Fund, was completed in 2004.[7] The works received recognition from the Duke of York's Community Initiative Award in 2007[8] and, following the re-opening of the town hall, later performers there included the American singer-songwriter, Steve Cropper, in November 2014,[9] the rock band, Magna Carta, in September 2017[10] and the pub rock band, Dr. Feelgood, in December 2017.[11]
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