The Old Court House

TL 3058-3158 CAXTON ERMINE STREET TL 35 NW (East Side)

12/72 7/72 The Old Court House

II

House, formerly the divisional Magistrates Court, Police Station and Prison. Built in 1859 for £755, architect, Mr Clarke of Newmarket, builder Mr W Gray of Litlington. Yellow gault brick with hipped slate roofs to rear. One storey court house and two storey ranges to rear accommodating prison cells and police offices with domestic quarters. Street elevation; symmetrical facade with heavily rusticated blind arcade of three 'bays' with recessed panels and round headed cast iron windows, (some replaced c.1940). Dentil brick enrichment to deep eaves cornice with panelled parapet and shaped pediment. Original entrance in flanking closed porches in angles with four-panelled door and fanlight in round headed arch to right hand, C20 inserted window in left hand entrance. Interior: the original plan has been slightly altered by closing some doorways and removing some partitions. The Magistrates met at the Crown Inn before the court house was built. It was in use up to 1969.

V.C.H., Vol. V, p33 Cambridgeshire Quarter Sessions Minute Book. C.R.O. Brown, J. Caxton Now and Then, 1984

Listing NGR: TL3019959006