The History
The town hall, which was designed by Sampson Sage and E Robertson in the neoclassical style,
was completed in 1854. The main frontage has five bays separated by full-height Tuscon order pilasters, with arched windows on the ground floor, casement windows
on the first floor and a pediment and roof lantern above.
The building was extended to the northeast with a tower, as well as accommodation for a corn exchange at ground floor level, to the designs of Wilson and Willcox of Bath in 1866.
A wine store was built on an adjoining site and its upper hall was used as a magistrates court from 1871 to 1891.
After civic functions transferred to the new town hall in 1891 , the building became a roller skating rink in 1910, and a cinema known as the Rink in 1919. After the second world war
it was refurbished and re-opened as the Locarno Dance Hall. Performers at the dance hall included the singer, Cilla Black in April 1964, followed by the rock bands, the Yardbirds in july 1964, the Who in October 1965 and the Small faces in November 1965.
The building subsequently served as a bingo hall but became vacant in the late 1970s.
Major fires occurred in the building in May 2003 and again in May 2004.
The Building is also grade II listed
The Explore
This is one i had never heard of before untill last year when the nearby Oasis leisure centre closed.
With talk of the Oasis possibly getting listed status there was fears that it would end up like the Mechanics and the Locarno.
Intrested to find out just exactly what this place was i did a little bit of research and found out it was originally a town hall in the old town area of swindon.
Through research i could see just how bad a state it was in now but decided to go have a look as its fairly local, and i have to say what remains is impressive but quite sad at the same time.
Entire floors are just gone making the explore quite treacherous as just had to navigate crumbling walls and steps, being careful where to place my foot as to not go through the mound of debris that covered some areas.
Pretty much the whole building is now bare walls but surprisingly there were a few areas that still had a bit of colour. what would have been the main dance hall is now just a shell with bare crumbling walls where nature is reclaming the area.
The clock tower still stands and can be seen for miles, sadly the clock faces were ruined by the fires.
Down in the celler it was holding up quite nicely and looked like it was iver a drug den complete with leather sofas or just some local teens base. Iver way the leather sofas were pretty random and in good condition.
The last area i explored was beneath what would have been the main dance hall, possibly the basment, the floor above it part collapsed and there was a strong smell of burnt wood down there, for some reason i felt extremley uneasy so finished off down there and headed back up which invloved climbing pipe work to get up on to the walls then back out through the thick weeds.
And Im in ( well Sort of )
looking up to the clock tower
Another view from what was inside
The steps up to the clcok tower, All Crumbling away
Looking up to the clcok tower
And again
facade
Unsurer what this would have been used for?
Another shot of the same bit of machinery
Quite possibly this was the Dane Hall
Another shot of what may have been the dance hall
some graff and maybe some storage room?
Floors now just totaly gone
No idea what this was/
A cloack room just seemingly floating in mid air
Stairs in perfect condition
The projector room maybe?
Some actual paintwork still survives
And Another...
More colour leading down in to the celler
Down in the celler
Another room in the celler
looking out of the celler
Out side of the Celler
A randon safe
An impressive Archway
"Blessed by the lord who daily loadeth us with benefits"
Outside looking up to the Clock Tower
And another...
Nature Reclaming The old Building
The town hall, which was designed by Sampson Sage and E Robertson in the neoclassical style,
was completed in 1854. The main frontage has five bays separated by full-height Tuscon order pilasters, with arched windows on the ground floor, casement windows
on the first floor and a pediment and roof lantern above.
The building was extended to the northeast with a tower, as well as accommodation for a corn exchange at ground floor level, to the designs of Wilson and Willcox of Bath in 1866.
A wine store was built on an adjoining site and its upper hall was used as a magistrates court from 1871 to 1891.
After civic functions transferred to the new town hall in 1891 , the building became a roller skating rink in 1910, and a cinema known as the Rink in 1919. After the second world war
it was refurbished and re-opened as the Locarno Dance Hall. Performers at the dance hall included the singer, Cilla Black in April 1964, followed by the rock bands, the Yardbirds in july 1964, the Who in October 1965 and the Small faces in November 1965.
The building subsequently served as a bingo hall but became vacant in the late 1970s.
Major fires occurred in the building in May 2003 and again in May 2004.
The Building is also grade II listed
The Explore
This is one i had never heard of before untill last year when the nearby Oasis leisure centre closed.
With talk of the Oasis possibly getting listed status there was fears that it would end up like the Mechanics and the Locarno.
Intrested to find out just exactly what this place was i did a little bit of research and found out it was originally a town hall in the old town area of swindon.
Through research i could see just how bad a state it was in now but decided to go have a look as its fairly local, and i have to say what remains is impressive but quite sad at the same time.
Entire floors are just gone making the explore quite treacherous as just had to navigate crumbling walls and steps, being careful where to place my foot as to not go through the mound of debris that covered some areas.
Pretty much the whole building is now bare walls but surprisingly there were a few areas that still had a bit of colour. what would have been the main dance hall is now just a shell with bare crumbling walls where nature is reclaming the area.
The clock tower still stands and can be seen for miles, sadly the clock faces were ruined by the fires.
Down in the celler it was holding up quite nicely and looked like it was iver a drug den complete with leather sofas or just some local teens base. Iver way the leather sofas were pretty random and in good condition.
The last area i explored was beneath what would have been the main dance hall, possibly the basment, the floor above it part collapsed and there was a strong smell of burnt wood down there, for some reason i felt extremley uneasy so finished off down there and headed back up which invloved climbing pipe work to get up on to the walls then back out through the thick weeds.
And Im in ( well Sort of )
looking up to the clock tower
Another view from what was inside
The steps up to the clcok tower, All Crumbling away
Looking up to the clcok tower
And again
facade
Unsurer what this would have been used for?
Another shot of the same bit of machinery
Quite possibly this was the Dane Hall
Another shot of what may have been the dance hall
some graff and maybe some storage room?
Floors now just totaly gone
No idea what this was/
A cloack room just seemingly floating in mid air
Stairs in perfect condition
The projector room maybe?
Some actual paintwork still survives
And Another...
More colour leading down in to the celler
Down in the celler
Another room in the celler
looking out of the celler
Out side of the Celler
A randon safe
An impressive Archway
"Blessed by the lord who daily loadeth us with benefits"
Outside looking up to the Clock Tower
And another...
Nature Reclaming The old Building
