Perth Sheriff Court

Sir Robert Smirke, 1819. Exceptional single-storey, 13-bay, E-plan Greek Revival court house with monumental and advanced Greek Doric octostyle portico with 10 pillar colonnade. Pale polished sandstone, ashlar to principal elevation, squared and snecked whinstone to rear. Base course; entablature with triglyphed frieze, eaves cornice and blocking course. Shallow steps to central portico with fluted columns lead to trio of heavy panelled 2-leaf timber entrance doors behind with round-arched fanlights. Pilasters divide flanking paired windows with attic openings above. 3-bay outer sections with architraved and corniced windows and pilastered corner angles. 3 bays to side (north and south) elevations with round-arched tripartite windows with pilaster mullions.

Predominantly 15-pane glazing to timber sash and case windows. Grey slate. Coped stacks with clay cans. Cast iron rainwater goods.

The interior, seen in 2014, is arranged around a central, west facing courtroom (courtroom 1) on the first floor. Excellent and largely intact 1860s decorative scheme. Entrance hall with dominant, T-plan Arbroath stone staircase with stone parapets and shouldered arches under side landings. Hall lit by central lantern light. Courtroom 1 retains much of its 1866 furniture and fittings and is square in plan with clerestorey lighting and a timber panelled gallery supported on cast-iron columns. Long timber panelled bench with full-length sounding board supported on corbelled brackets. Raked pew seating, and timber jury box and witness stand. Dock with covered hatch over stairs leading to cells below. Timber dado lining, coffered ceiling with rosettes and central ventilator. Courtroom 2 with timber furniture and bench recess in alcove. Former Assembly Room in south wing retains Smirke scheme with remarkable white marble Greek Doric chimney piece with eagles holding mantelpiece. Panelled ceiling; arcaded walls. Many timber panelled doors and some decorative cornicing. Vaulted strongroom with fitted timber shelving units. Vaulted cells to basement.