From Bay Horse to The Old Town Hall

This c1915 photo was provided by Red Rose Collections

Standing on Church Street, just a short distance from Poulton’s historic Market Place, the Old Town Hall has served the town in a variety of roles for more than 150 years. Originally built as a public house, it later became the headquarters of the local council before returning to its hospitality roots. Today, it remains one of Poulton-le-Fylde’s most recognisable historic buildings, reflecting the town’s evolution from a Victorian market community into the administrative centre of the Fylde. The site was originally occupied by the Bay Horse Inn, which was established in 1869 to serve the growing market town. At a time when Poulton was expanding rapidly through agricultural trade and improved transport links, the inn became a popular meeting place for local residents, farmers, merchants and visitors arriving in the town.

In 1910, the Bay Horse was extensively rebuilt in an attractive Victorian style, creating the red-brick building that survives today. The new design featured stone dressings, prominent bay windows and distinctive Tudor-style half-timbered gables, giving it a civic appearance that would later prove well suited to its next chapter. Following the creation of Poulton-le-Fylde Urban District Council in 1900, councillors initially held meetings in a variety of temporary locations. As the responsibilities of local government increased, it became clear that the town required permanent municipal offices. In 1927, the council purchased the former Bay Horse and converted it into its official headquarters, creating what became known as Poulton Town Hall. From here, councillors oversaw many of the changes that shaped the modern town, including housing, sanitation, highways and local services.

The building continued to serve as the headquarters of Poulton-le-Fylde Urban District Council for much of the twentieth century. When local government was reorganised in 1974, the newly formed Wyre Borough Council also used the building for a short period before relocating its administration to the purpose-built Wyre Civic Centre on Breck Road in 1988. During the extensive redevelopment of Poulton town centre in the late 1960s and early 1970s, many neighbouring historic buildings were demolished to make way for the Teanlowe Centre shopping precinct. The butcher’s shop adjoining the Town Hall disappeared during these works, but the former municipal building itself survived, preserving an important link with Poulton’s civic heritage.

After the council vacated the premises in 1988, the building returned to its original purpose as a public house and was appropriately renamed The Old Town Hall. Careful refurbishment has allowed many of its historic architectural features to be retained, while the building continues to serve as a popular venue in the heart of the town. Its survival is particularly significant given the loss of so many neighbouring historic properties during the twentieth century. Although the present building dates from the early twentieth century, it also reflects an even older tradition of local government in Poulton. During medieval times, the town possessed a Moot Hall in the Market Place, where local courts and civic meetings were held. The Old Town Hall therefore represents the continuation of centuries of municipal administration in one of the Fylde’s oldest market towns, linking Poulton’s medieval past with its modern civic history.