County Hall And Market House

The County Hall and Market House, built between 1678 and 1683, is an important ashlar building designed by Christopher Kempster, who was one of Sir Christopher Wren's masons. The woodwork was completed by Avery Hobbs. This structure features two storeys, cellars, and attics, along with a square staircase tower on the south side. It has a layout of four bays by two, with a façade made of fine ashlar, using Burford stone at the impost level of the ground floor and mostly Headington stone above.

The Hall is elevated on a stylobate consisting of three steps. The ground floor contains an open arcaded Market Hall, while the first floor houses the Sessions Hall, illuminated by arched windows in each bay. The building is supported by giant pilasters that span two storeys, holding up an entablature and a wooden eaves cornice topped with a lead roof. The roof features pedimented dormer windows above each bay and a balustraded flat front that rises to a cupola with a weathervane.

The grand order includes pilasters of the ground floor arcade, which rest on plinths with a simple cavetto. The order is characterized by pedestals, moulded bases, and pilasters that lack entasis or fluting, topped with composite capitals. Its entablature has a plain frieze and supports the modillions of the wooden eaves cornice, which was renewed in 1896. The proportions of this order were slightly altered during restoration work before 1852 due to decayed stone being cut away.

Each bay of the grand order contains one arch of the Market Hall arcade. The keystones of the round arches are adorned with sculptured masks featuring symbolic headdresses, which were added in their current form in 1853. The arcades originate from plain pilasters with moulded imposts. The first floor has round-headed windows with moulded architraves and scrolled keystones decorated with acanthus, using box stone from the 1853 restoration. The building was also repaired in 1952. The County Hall has been the site of many significant election struggles.

The County Hall, along with Nos. 5 to 9 Market Place, forms a cohesive group in the area.