County Court Office

The County Court Office was constructed in 1824, designed by Richard Carver. It is built of Ham Hill stone with a slate roof. The building is rectangular in plan and presents a symmetrical five-window facade. The central three bays project forward, featuring a pediment supported by two Ionic columns and Tuscan antae. The ground floor features segmental arches over the central three windows, which are 6/6-pane sashes. The outer bays have tripartite windows set within Tuscan pilasters, with a C20 planked double door to the left and a raised-and-fielded six-panel door with a segmental-arched overlight to the right.

The interior entrance hall has stone flags and a high skirting board. A six-panel door leads to a central room. A semicircular-arched recess provides access to the rear stairs, and another recess is situated in the corner. One office to centre features a wide semicircular arch over the door, flanked by concave quadrant recesses that form a deeper recess, with a moulded cornice following the contours. The open-well staircase has stick balusters, a wreathed curtail step, a continuous rail, and a turned newel. Rear rooms have been remodelled. The courtroom on the first floor features a segmental barrel-vaulted ceiling with three rows of square panels, a thick box cornice, and an ornamental ventilation rose. C1930 oak furnishings include a coat of arms above the bench. Cast-iron bootscrapers, which are inverted semi-circles raised on moulded stems with a blade to centre and ornamental knobs to sides, flank the entrance.