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Latitude: 53.1397 / 53°8'22"N
Longitude: -4.2778 / 4°16'40"W
OS Eastings: 247731
OS Northings: 362704
OS Grid: SH477627
Mapcode National: GBR 5H.6C9Z
Mapcode Global: WH43F.8B6X
Plus Code: 9C5Q4PQC+VV
Entry Name: County Court (former County Hall)
Listing Date: 8 October 1953
Last Amended: 3 May 2002
Grade: I
Source: Cadw
Source ID: 3828
Building Class: Civil
Also known as: County Hall, Caernarfon
ID on this website: 300003828
Location: At the junction of Castle Ditch and Shirehall Street, directly opposite Caernarfon Castle.
County: Gwynedd
Town: Caernarfon
Community: Caernarfon
Community: Caernarfon
Locality: Walled town
Built-Up Area: Caernarfon
Traditional County: Caernarfonshire
Tagged with: County Court County hall
Erected in 1863 as Caernarvonshire Shire Hall by John Thomas, County Surveyor. The figure of blind Justice was carved by Robert Evans of Menai Bridge. The shire hall has stood on or near the present site since before 1294. It now houses both the Crown and Magistrates Courts.
Neo-classical style, with a symmetrical front of 7 bays (grouped 2:3:2) and 2 storeys, with a deep eaves cornice and projecting double Tuscan pilasters to the angles. Constructed of snecked rock-faced sandstone with Penmon stone dressings, and slate roof behind coped parapets incorporating a central skylight. The front elevation is dominated by the full-height 3-bay portico, reached up stone steps. The portico has 4 Roman Doric columns, an architrave which is continued across the entire elevation, and a frieze with inscription reading 'Victoria Reg County Hall AD MDCCCLXIII'. A pediment is on a cornice with mutules that is continued as the eaves cornice and the apex is crowned by a large figure of Justice. Doorways are in the bays R and L of centre. They have fluted consoles supporting moulded architraves, and double panelled doors. Windows have moulded architraves, with corbelled sills in the upper storey and with keystones to the central 3 bays. The windows are 12-pane hornless sashes (replaced horned sash upper R). To the L of the portico, where the ground level slopes downwards, are 2 sash windows lighting the basement. The angle pilasters each have a small vent strip between, and with a horned sash to the basement in the L-hand replacing an original door.
The symmetrical 3-bay R side wall facing Shirehall Street has angle pilasters and entablature similar to the front. The central doorway with double panelled doors and a surround with consoles to moulded cornice, with keystone. Windows are 12-pane hornless sashes in moulded architraves, and keystone upper centre. The rear has roughcast wall and 12-pane sash windows over a rear wing which has an entrance projection facing Shirehall Street dated 1989.
The full-height council chamber (now the Crown Court) occupies the 3 R-hand bays. It has a coved ceiling and a central domed lantern, and is panelled with profuse relief ornamanetation. An apsidal recess has a keyed elliptical arch on Tuscan pilasters, spandrels with roundels and relief ornament, and a scalloped plaster vault. Windows have panelled reveals and beneath the sills of the upper tier of windows is a rich foliage frieze with roundels, while betweeen the windows are plaster fielded panels. At the back of the council chamber is a raked gallery with panelled front and brass hand rail.
Listed grade I as an exceptional work of C19 civic architecture, forming the principal component of a group of public buildings including the police station and former jail, and for its contribution to the setting of Caernarfon Castle.
External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.
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