The Old Court House Shops And Restaurant

The Old Court House Shops and Restaurant is a former estate office, court house, and Masonic hall, dating to the mid-18th century. It was altered between 1803 and 1806 by John White for the Duke of Devonshire, with further changes in the 19th and 20th centuries. The building is constructed of dressed millstone grit with ashlar dressings and has Welsh slate roofs and stone stacks.

The exterior features a street front with 11 windows arranged under separate roofs in a 2:5:2:2 configuration. A set-back wing to the left is three stories high with two windows. The ground floor has two round-headed openings, partly obscured by an external stone staircase with an iron balustrade, leading to an upper floor with a glazed panel door and overlight. Above are two further sash windows. A projecting central two-story, five-window range has a first-floor sill band and a coped blind parapet. The central doorway has a raised surround with a glazed door and overlight, flanked by 20th-century shopfronts and doors. Either side are round-headed, former doorways with 20th-century shopfronts and blocked arches above. Above are five tall four-over-two sash windows. A set-back wing to the right is two stories high with two windows, a former central doorway now containing a fixed window, and a round-headed doorway with 20th-century double doors and a fixed window to the right. There are two further former doorways now with enlarged 20th-century shopfronts. Above are two plain sashes with 20th-century louvred shutters, linked by a sill band. A set-back single-story wing to the right has two round-headed openings with a linking impost band and keystones, both with plate glass shop windows and fanlights.

The rear of the main block originally had five windows, with the central round-headed doorway now blocked. Later doors have been added to the right, and a door built over to the left. Above the central window is a blocked opening, with two sashes to the left and two blocked windows to the right.

The interior of the main block was re-roofed in the 20th century. The first floor has new partitions but retains original features like window shutters, moulded door surrounds - one with a prominent architrave, four-panelled doors (including a folding door), engaged columns, and raised panelling. The ground floor is vaulted. The blocks to the right have been substantially altered in the 20th century. The building was reportedly built as an Estate Office for the Duke of Devonshire and later used as a Court House, Assembly Rooms, and Masonic Hall.