County Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne

Originally the Moot Hall in Newcastle upon Tyne was used as the county facility for dispensing justice but, following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, it also became necessary to find a permanent meeting place for Northumberland County Council.[2] A site was identified within the Moot Hall precincts and the new building was designed by J. A. Bain and completed in 1910.[1] An extension down to the Side and the top storeys were designed by Cackett, Dick and McKellar and completed in 1933.[1] Following the creation of the county of Tyne and Wear in 1974 the County Hall was extraterritorial to the county of Northumberland, and so in the late 1970s Northumberland County Council decided to re-establish County Hall in Morpeth in April 1981, to provide them with a meeting place within the territorial limits of the county.[3]

The building in Newcastle was converted into a hotel, becoming the "Vermont Hotel" under the management of Lincoln Group in 1993.[4] After Lincoln Group went into administration in January 2012, the hotel changed ownership and was acquired by Gainford Hotels in April 2012.[5][6]