County hall
A county hall or shire hall is a common name given to a building that houses the seat of local government for a county. The location of the county hall has usually denoted the county town. When county halls have moved, this has been taken as a sign that the county town has moved, as when Derbyshire County Council moved from Derby to Matlock in the 1950s. As important government buildings, many county halls are known for their distinctive architecture. Some county halls are historic buildings at the heart of the town, whilst others are more modern office building in suburban locations. Many buildings which have lost their administrative function have retained the name county hall for historic reasons, such as County Hall, London.
County Halls usually contain a council chamber, committee rooms and offices. Many have also historically been home to court rooms, although in recent years many of these have moved to separate buildings.
List of county and shire halls
County Halls in Great Britain and Ireland, with the county they served, include:
Name | Town or city | Traditional county | Country |
---|---|---|---|
County Hall | Abingdon | Berkshire | England |
County Hall | Aylesbury | Buckinghamshire | England |
County Hall | Cardiff | Glamorgan | Wales |
County Hall | Chelmsford | Essex | England |
County Hall | Cork | County Cork | Ireland |
County Hall | Coventry | Warwickshire | England |
Shire Hall | Dorchester | Dorset | England |
Shire Hall | Gloucester | Gloucestershire | England |
County Hall | Hertford | Hertfordshire | England |
County Hall | Kingston upon Thames | Surrey | England |
County Hall | London | London | England |
County Hall | Matlock | Derbyshire | England |
Shire Hall | Monmouth | Monmouthshire | Wales |
Shire Hall | Newport | Monmouthshire | Wales |
Shire Hall | Nottingham | Nottinghamshire | England |
Shire Hall | Stafford | Staffordshire | England |
County Hall | Swansea | West Glamorgan | Wales |
County Hall | Taunton | Somerset | England |
County Hall | Trowbridge | Wiltshire | England |
County Hall | Wakefield | West Riding of Yorkshire | England |
Shire Hall | Warwick | Warwickshire | England |
County Hall | Worcester | Worcestershire | England |
See also