County Court House And Attached Walls, Piers And Railings

County Court House and Attached Walls, Piers and Railings

A County Court completed in 1869, designed by Sorby with low relief stone sculpture by Mansel Bailey. The building is constructed in brick laid in Flemish bond with stone dressings, under a hipped slate roof, in the Gothic Revival style.

The principal façade on Church Street presents a five-window range with a four-window return. The building rises two storeys over a basement. A single-storey wall projection forms a diaphragm arch spanning the path to the public entrance on the return elevation. The Judge's Entrance on Church Street is accessed by steps up to a segmental pointed-arch doorway with over- and sidelights, the door of original design. This entrance sits within an aedicule of shallow projection, crenellated and decorated with ornamental bands and spandrels. To the left is a pointed segmental-arched opening set in a crenellated wall projection bearing the inscription "County Court"; a panel in the overarch contains the Royal Arms in sculpted bas relief.

The elevation is asymmetrically arranged. To the left of the main entrance stands a pair of triple windows, each light segmental and pointed arched, separated by a shallow buttress with stone setbacks. An identical triplet of windows appears to the right. A continuous sill band runs across the first-floor windows which light offices. In the first two ranges there are triplets with cusped quadrant corners to each light, a single light above the entrance, and a pair of double-light windows in the fourth and fifth ranges. All windows feature sloping sills, transoms and moulded mullions. A continuous brick dentil cornice runs along the elevation.

The return elevation is arranged more informally, with a notable chimney-breast buttress near the corner. To the rear, red brick gives way to brown except for the dentil cornice which is identical throughout. Traceried lights light the west- and north-facing elevations of the rear courtroom. Stone and brick stacks rise to the centre and rear; the stack to the right party wall is a recent restoration. The corner return stack is gone.

The public entrance to the large magistrate's court is on the return, set in a single-storey extension containing vestibules and another room. The door, of original design, is set in a flat-arched opening with cusped quadrant corners.

Interior

The room to the right of the Judge's entrance is the Registrar's Room, featuring a polished stone chimneypiece, with the Judge's private room behind. The room to the left of the Judge's entrance was originally the public office, later thrown together with the former High Bailiff's room. A corridor leading to the rear contains an open well and top-lit stair with turned balusters and chamfered newels.

The principal interior feature is the Court Room to the rear, measuring 12.5 by 10.5 metres and approached by a vestibule. Two entrances from the left, both originally glazed, provided access for the public and for solicitors or persons with business in the Court. The public area was floored with what was then a new patent preparation for the reduction of sound. Notable features include panelled walls, a dais on the east wall, and all original doors. A strutted collar-beam roof of four bays is supported by wood posts rising from heavy stone corbels set at sill level, decorated with ornamental and historiated carving.

A smaller court adjoining the principal Court Room was for use by the Registrar. A first-floor room accommodated the High Bailiff; the remaining rooms were occupied by the Chief Clerk, who resided on the premises.

Prior to its completion, the County Court was housed in the Town Hall on Bartholomews. In recent years the building has been partially vacant, with the ground floors used as a book store and bindery by the Library across Church Street.