Shire Hall

Shire Hall, located in Hereford, was built between 1815 and 1817, with extensions added in the mid-19th century. Designed by Sir Robert Smirke, the building is constructed from ashlar sandstone, brick, and features a slate roof with various brick stacks. It is designed in a neo-Classical style, highlighted by a giant Doric hexastyle portico with a moulded pediment that includes triglyphs and three double doors. The symmetrical wings of the building feature single 6/6 sash windows set in moulded stone architraves, along with moulded bands and pediments. The simplified bands and cornice of the wings continue the entablature of the portico.

Inside, Shire Hall boasts an impressive array of ornamental features. The staircase consists of a straight flight, while the lobby showcases ornamental plasterwork and a domed amphitheatre supported by marble Corinthian columns. The Great Hall is adorned with ornamental plasterwork, and the courtrooms and retiring rooms feature wood panelling. The library has a plasterwork ceiling, and the Grand Jury Room includes a plasterwork ceiling, panelling, six-panel doors with entablatures, and a painted fireplace. Committee Room 1 and Committee Room 2 both contain late 19th-century wood fireplaces.