Sikh Community Centre

TQ 1096 SE & TQ 1196 SW LADY'S CLOSE

9/10000 Watford County Court House

• II

Former County Court house. Circa 1858. Red brick facades in Flemish bond and dressings of blue brick and Portland stone; side and rear elevations stock brick. Roofs concealed by parapets. Red brick stacks. Plan: Front range contains entrances, offices and main stairs, with courtroom behind at centre and judge's chamber and court clerk's room at back. Cells now in side entrance block to south facing King Close. Classical style. Exterior: 2 storeys. Symmetrical 1:2:1:2:1 bay west front to Lady's Close, centre and end bays break forward. Stone modillion cornice and blocking course and moulded stone band and plinth moulding. Ground floor round arch windows and doorways with blue brick dressings, stone voussoirs and imposts, the doorways in centre and end bays with panelled pilasters and carved capitals and semi-circular fanlights; panelled doors on right, the other doors blocked; sash windows with margin panes on ground floor. First floor 12-pane sashes in moulded brick architraves with small keystones and stone cills, centre in moulded stone eared architrave with panelled apron. Entrance block to King Close; 1 storey 3 bays, central doorway similar to those at front, flanked by large round arch windows with 2 stone arch lights with central colonette and large keystones rising into brick dentilled stone cornice above with blocking course and large Royal Arms at centre. Interior: Courtroom has walls with large blind arcade, panelled doors with moulded architraves and lantern concealed by C20 suspended ceiling. Open-well main staircase with stick balusters and mahogany handrail. Secondary stairs with wreathed handrail. Jurors' room at front on first floor with console brackets supporting ceiling beams.

Listing NGR: TQ1100496140