Old Police Station

Old Court House and Old Police Station.

Building in Arts and Crafts style constructed of red brick with a variety of detail to the lower storey and half-timbering to the upper storey, under slate roofs with projecting eaves. The Old Police Station is to the L and the former Court House to the R, each clearly expressed. The Police Station has a symmetrical front of one-and-a-half storeys with a L end stack and moulded brick string course. Central recessed doorway with C20 wooden door and flat timber lintel, flanked by wide 4-light casement windows, each with a horizontal glazing bar, square quarries and flat lintel. Centrally located above the doorway and string course is a prominent diamond frieze in blue brick. Aligned above is a wide gabled half-dormer, half-timbered with projecting verges supported on brackets. It contains a 7-light window, the casements with small panes.

The Old Court House is 2-storeyed and has an asymmetrical front with hipped roof to R. The ground floor has a high-set 7-light window to the L, the narrow lights with chamfered brick mullions. The central light is blocked with brick, the others with iron-framed glazing. Moulded brick sill, beneath which is a continuous sill band. To the R is a stairlight beneath the eaves, 3-light with chamfered brick mullions, the moulded sill in a different style. Aligned above the 7-light window is the gable of the upper storey, half-timbered, the verges supported on brackets. It contains a wide 8-light window with small-pane casements. Above is a shaped lintel bearing the stylised letters 'JSB' (John Bankes) and the date '1877' flanked by ornamental friezes with circles.

The W end contains the entrance to the Court House, offset to the R with recessed boarded door under a flat stone lintel. To the L is a small 2-light brick mullioned window, the sill band continuing from the front as a hoodmould. Above and offset to the R is a wide half-timbered attic dormer containing a 4-light window with small-pane casements. The Court House is L-shaped, the rear range a continuation of the high front gable and containing the court chambers. The return from the W end, facing S, has a 2-light brick mullioned window, whilst the W side of the rear range has a 3-light brick mullioned window to the ground floor. The 2-storey S gable end is of brick with a string course containing a saw-tooth brick band. To each storey are 2 pairs of 3-light windows with chamfered brick mullions, flat brick hoodmoulds and moulded sills. In the R angle of the gable end is a clustered brick shaft.

The rear of the Old Police Station has a small C20 brick lean-to to the L containing a door and multi-pane window. Long 2-storey range to R, the W side with small multi-pane windows under segmental brick heads and skylights. The E side of the building adjoins the stables and courtyard of Lislea House (former vicarage).

No access to interior at time of inspection.