County Offices

County Offices

A neo-Georgian county offices building constructed in the late 1930s, built from snecked and dressed local limestone with a close hammered finish. The front and sides feature ashlar dressings, while the rear elevation is constructed of snecked natural limestone rubble with ashlar dressings. The roof is covered in Westmorland slate with lead cladding to the clock turret. Cast iron and lead rainwater goods are fitted throughout.

The building is rectangular in plan with two storeys and a basement. A pair of small central courtyards light the main stair hall. The central stair hall and council chamber occupy the rear section, with narrow corridors containing offices arranged around the other three sides.

The main south elevation has nine bays and displays neo-Georgian styling with a hipped roof. All windows are square-headed with ashlar surrounds and fitted with 4/4 sash frames with margin lights. Steps lead up to a centrally placed square-headed and architraved entrance. Inset double oak doors are surmounted by a rectangular fanlight with glazing bars and the county coat of arms. A clock turret rises from the hipped roof, featuring corner pilasters and an entablature, a metal balustrade and a pyramidal roof topped by a weathervane. A lozenge-shaped clock is affixed to the south face. The left and right returns are ten-bay ranges; the basement windows on the right return have flat arches. An additional bay at the north end of each elevation serves as a stair tower and contains a plain square-headed side entrance with windows above. The rear north elevation features a central recessed bay with central roof lights lighting the council chamber, flanked by slightly projecting end bays. Fenestration is limited to the sides and lower parts of this elevation.

The main entrance leads into a plain vestibule with three steps up to a set of double wooden glazed doors. The ground floor has corridors to the right and left leading to plain offices, many partitioned, arranged around the south, west and east sides. A plain stair leads down to the basement, which largely retains its Cold War emergency centre plan and some original fittings including blast doors, window fittings for blast screens and a decontamination shower within an air lock. Some suspended ceilings have been introduced, and signage survives.

Timber and glazed double doors give access to a wide double-height stair hall with a cream tiled floor inset with a narrow border of slate. Original pendant lights and some wall lights remain. Each straight flight of the double staircase rises against a side wall and has a solid balustrade surmounted by a brass geometric handrail. The central open landing is supported on four plain pilasters. At first floor level, the stair hall is lit by three large sash windows in each side wall, and the corniced ceiling is supported at each end by a pair of plain pilasters. A large carved wooden roundel placed above the doors into the antechamber bears the county coat of arms and the date 1939. At the north end of the stair hall's ground floor, heavy oak double doors are set into a square limestone architrave with two steps leading down into the antechamber. To either side of this opening is a bronze roundel commemorating G.H. Pattinson, Chairman of Westmorland County Council, and James Cropper MP for Kendal (1880-1885) and first chairman of Westmorland County Council (1888).

The antechamber has half oak panelling with plainly painted walls above and a square roof light. It retains original pendant and wall lights. Large square-headed openings with oak architraves to the left and right lead into cloakrooms and committee rooms respectively. The committee rooms are entered through large oak doors and are small plain rooms with simple oak skirtings; one has a plain oak fireplace and another retains original fixed bookcases. The antechamber leads through a central entrance down three steps into the rectangular meeting chamber. This has half oak panelling with surface-fixed acoustic panels bearing large geometric designs to the upper parts. Door and window architraves and reveals are also of oak, and there is an oak panelled dais with the county coat of arms above. The chamber retains a full complement of original oak benches arranged theatre-style around three sides; most are fixed but not all. The narrow public gallery in the rear wall is supported by square oak columns and has a geometric brass balustrade. The chamber ceiling has a plain cornice and a large central atrium with an original multi-paned oak frame, and there are original brass and glass pendant ceiling lights.

The first floor comprises corridors around three sides giving access to offices. Some offices have suspended ceilings with original plaster ceilings and simple mouldings retained above; others have new partitions. Many original partitions remain with original doors and door furniture. Glazed timber screens and doors have been added for fire compartmentation, and a plain metal fire escape occupies each of the rear end bays. Original floor coverings are mostly retained throughout.