History in Structure

The Old Sessions House

A Grade II Listed Building in Torquay, Torbay

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Coordinates

Latitude: 50.4682 / 50°28'5"N

Longitude: -3.5281 / 3°31'41"W

OS Eastings: 291649

OS Northings: 64268

OS Grid: SX916642

Mapcode National: GBR QV.WZ0Y

Mapcode Global: FRA 37HT.HB4

Plus Code: 9C2RFF9C+7Q

Entry Name: The Old Sessions House

Listing Date: 30 January 1981

Last Amended: 3 May 1994

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1280077

English Heritage Legacy ID: 390534

ID on this website: 101280077

Location: Torquay, Torbay, Devon, TQ1

County: Torbay

Electoral Ward/Division: Ellacombe

Parish: Non Civil Parish

Built-Up Area: Torquay

Traditional County: Devon

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Devon

Church of England Parish: Torquay St Mary Magdalene (Upton)

Church of England Diocese: Exeter

Tagged with: House

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Description



TORQUAY

SX9164 CASTLE LANE
885-1/14/64 (North side)
30/01/81 The Old Sessions House
(Formerly Listed as:
CASTLE LANE
The Old Police Station)

GV II

Sessions House with police quarters and cells, now used as
shops. 1873-1876 to the designs of Harbottle, contractor WA
Goss (Ellis).
Local grey limestone rubble with a crazed finish with fine
joints; Bathstone and limestone ashlar dressings; slate roofs,
hipped and gabled with terracotta ridge tiles with pierced
cresting; stacks with stone shafts, corbelled cornices and
stone caps. Original rainwater goods with fleur-de-lis and
trefoil brackets. Eclectic Tudor style.
PLAN: Rectangular on plan overall; series of blocks built
round a central stable yard, later roofed over and converted
to fire station.
EXTERIOR: 3 storeys. Asymmetrical 4-bay front, the 3
right-hand bays with gables to the front. Two 2-centred
chamfered arched doorways on front, one to the right
preserving blind tracery in the overlight; second bay doorway
altered for shopfront. 2-light ground-floor windows with
central column. 3-light first-floor windows with stone
architraves, the 2 centre ones in a shallow oriel with a
crenellated parapet. Second-floor windows paired lancets with
drip moulds. The left-hand in a shallow gabled oriel on
brackets. The other elevations are in a similar style,
preserving most of the original windows and doors.
INTERIOR: Previous List description notes former court room
with carved stone corbels to arch-braced tie-beam roof;
seating removed. Cells with vaulted ceilings still intact,
notorious because John Lee, "the man they could not hang" was
kept there before his trial.
(Ellis AC: An Historical Survey of Torquay, 2nd edition:
1930-: P.320).


Listing NGR: SX9164964268

External Links

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