Tavistock Guildhall

Tavistock Guildhall and Police Station is a Grade II* Listed building in the centre of Tavistock. It is believed to be England’s first purpose-built combined court and police station. The complex was completed circa 1848 and is constructed on the footprint of Tavistock Abbey. The building has been empty since 2010 and was on Historic England’s Buildings at Risk Register and was sited on the grounds of a Scheduled Monument.

We worked closely with the local community and Tavistock Town Council, considering a wide range of options for the reuse of this important though dilapidated building. The consultation bought all parties together and proposals for a civic ‘hub’ which integrates Council public and partner services, delivered through a ‘one-stop-shop’, with a range of complementary community uses. These are combined with a World Heritage Site (WHS) Gateway Centre and a Police & Magistrates’ Museum which provide public access to the courtroom and cells, and interpretation of the buildings historic function. This interesting mix of Council, Heritage and Community uses and the proposed sensitive reuse of the building supported a successful Heritage Lottery bid for both the conversion of the building and the Museum and Gateway Centre exhibition fit out.

The resulting conversion has provided a sensitive reuse of this important building. It has re-imagined the Courtroom as a space that can be a Council Chamber, a wedding venue or a community hall. We have been instrumental in empowering all of the client bodies to be involved in decisions all the way through the project who will hopefully continue to work together to ensure the success of the new uses.