This section of rusticated stonework can be found between Clulow’s Opticians and Black Gold Coffee – The Famous as it once was – on the High Street. It is the only remaining part of a building that served as the local government administration headquarters from the 1820s until 1915. it was known as The Town Office until incorporation in 1876. In 1915, the Municipal Offices relocated to their current position on The Promenade, and F.W. Woolworth took over the building.
Woolworths occupied the shop until a move to larger premises on The Strand in 1959 when Tesco moved in. In late December 1969, a fire gutted the building, and it was demolished.
Of course, the clock on the Town Office was known by all as The Town Clock. It could be seen from almost all parts of the High Street and became an important location marker for nearby businesses and a popular, easily agreed, meeting point.
