Shirehall, Shrewsbury
| Shirehall, Shrewsbury | |
|---|---|
 Shirehall | |
  Shirehall Location within Shropshire | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Modernist style |
| Address | Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 52°42′18″N 2°43′53″W / 52.7050°N 2.7315°W |
| Completed | 1966 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Ralph Crowe |
Shirehall is a municipal facility in Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The building, which is the headquarters of Shropshire Council, is just north of Lord Hill's Column.
History
The building was commissioned to replace the Old Shirehall in Market Square.[1] After deciding in the Old Shirehall was inadequate for their needs, county leaders decided to procure a new building: the site they selected had previously been occupied by a country house known as "Nearwell".[2][a]
The foundation stone for the new building was laid by
ovoid-shaped council chamber which jutted out to the south-west of the main building.[9] Pevsner described the building as "the major monument to post-war modernism in the county".[9]
A single storey extension, also designed by Crowe, was added to the Shirehall, to accommodate the
assizes and the local quarter session hearings, shortly after it opened.[11][12] Following the implementation of the Courts Act 1971, the former assizes courthouse became the venue for hearings of the newly designated Shrewsbury Crown Court.[13] The magistrates' courts moved to a new courthouse in Preston Street in 1994.[14][15]
Originally established as the headquarters of
Twentieth Century Society placed the site on its Top 10 Buildings at Risk List.[20]
Works of art in the building include a cast iron mural by Rosalind Alexander, located in the entrance hall, depicting Shropshire industries.[21]
Notes
- ^ The house was commissioned by a local solicitor, William Wybergh How, in 1868[3] and became the home of his son, Walsham How, who went on to be the first Bishop of Wakefield:[4] it subsequently remained in the How family until the mid-1940s[5][6] and then became a hostel for boys studying at Shrewsbury Technical College before being demolished in August 1963.[7]
References
- ^ "New book takes colourful look at Shrewsbury past". Shropshire Star. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Ordnance Survey Map 1954". Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ Hinton, Nigel. "Notes on the history, landmarks and people of the Portland Nurseries area of Shrewsbury". Archived from the original on 4 August 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ISBN 978-1010111740.
- ^ "Obituary: Thomas Maynard How". 19 January 1904. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "No. 36425". The London Gazette. 14 March 1944. p. 1255.
- ^ "Nearwell boys far from home". Shropshire Star. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Clock ticking for 1960s Shirehall". Shropshire Star. 23 October 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ ISBN 978-0300096422.
- ^ "The Queen at 90: Her Majesty in Shropshire". Shropshire Star. 21 April 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Law Courts and Courtrooms 1: The Buildings of the Criminal Law". Historic England. 1 August 2016. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ISBN 978-0429558689.
- ^ Courts Act 1971 (Commencement) Order 1971 (SI 1971/1151)
- ^ "UK: Contract – Shrewsbury, Shropshire; M. A. Boswell (Contractors)". Construction News. 8 October 1992. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ "Proposal on the provision of court and tribunal services in the Midlands region" (PDF). Ministry of Justice. 16 July 2015. p. 34. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ "Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "£1 million study on future of Shirehall in Shrewsbury". Shropshire Star. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
- ^ "Council leader believes £10m sale of Shirehall can fund Pride Hill centre transformation". Oswestry and Border Counties Advertiser. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
- ^ "Case Name: The Shirehall, Shrewsbury" (PDF). Historic England. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
- ^ "Top 10 C20 Society Buildings at Risk List 2021". The Twentieth Century Society. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
- ^ "Shirehall and Law Courts" (PDF). The Architects' Journal. 29 March 1967. p. 777. Retrieved 14 November 2020.