It has been announced that the grade II listed former town hall at 14 Middleton Street could become flats. The picture shows the building (seen on the left) soon after the then-Wymondham-Urban-District-Council’s offices opened there in 1938.

The grand building was built by wealthy Randall Burroughes (1733-1799) for his mother-in-law, Mrs Denton. Burroughes was descended from a rich brewer, Thomas Randall, who lived in Wymondham in the early 1700s. When Randall died in 1738, most of his estate was divided among four grandchildren, the wealthy Burroughes receiving, among other bequests, seven Wymondham public houses. The Middleton Street property continued to be residential until November 1937 when it was purchased for use as offices by Wymondham Urban District Council (£1125). The offices were officially opened on 28 March 1938 by Sir Bartle Frere, a barrister who had served in the Colonial Service and later became vice-chairman of Norfolk County Council. Wymondham Parish Council had been elevated to urban status with more control over its affairs in 1935, but in the controversial local government reorganisation of 1974, it was back to a parish level. As a result, the Middleton Street building - seemingly unfairly - became the property of South Norfolk District Council, from whom Wymondham Town Council had rented it until the move to the new offices at Kett’s Park in 2020.

P.S. If any readers have any old photos taken in and around Wymondham which could be used for a future “What’s in a Photo” article, please email them to news@wymondhammagazine.co.uk