County Court (former County Hall)

This building is a neo-classical County Court (formerly County Hall), constructed in 1863. It is built of snecked rock-faced sandstone with Penmon stone dressings, and has a slate roof behind coped parapets that include a central skylight. The main front elevation is symmetrical, featuring seven bays arranged as a group of two, three, and two. The building has two storeys, a deep eaves cornice, and projecting double Tuscan pilasters at the corners. A prominent, full-height, three-bay portico dominates the front, accessed by stone steps. The portico is supported by four Roman Doric columns, with an architrave that extends across the entire elevation and a frieze inscribed 'Victoria Reg County Hall AD MDCCCLXIII'. A pediment sits atop a cornice continued as the eaves cornice, and is crowned by a large figure of Justice. Doorways are positioned in the left and right bays of the central section. They have fluted consoles supporting moulded architraves and double-panelled doors. The windows are 12-pane hornless sashes; the upper right window has been replaced with a horned sash. Two basement windows are located to the left, where the ground level slopes downwards. The corner pilasters have vent strips and a horned sash replacing an original door in the basement on the left.

The right side wall, facing Shirehall Street, is symmetrical and features three bays with angle pilasters and an entablature similar to the front. The central doorway has double panelled doors within a surround of consoles and a moulded cornice, with a keystone. The rear elevation is roughcast and contains 12-pane sash windows, with a rear wing and an entrance projection dating to 1989 facing Shirehall Street.

The full-height council chamber (now the Crown Court) occupies the three right-hand bays. This chamber has a coved ceiling and a central, domed lantern. It is extensively panelled with relief ornamentation. An apsidal recess features a keyed elliptical arch on Tuscan pilasters, spandrels with roundels and relief ornament, and a scalloped plaster vault. The windows have panelled reveals and a rich foliage frieze with roundels beneath the sills of the upper tier of windows, with plaster fielded panels between the windows. A raked gallery with a panelled front and a brass hand rail is located at the back of the council chamber.