Shire Hall, Hertford


The Shire Hall is a municipal building in Hertford, the county town of Hertfordshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building.

History

Although a team of Robert Adam and his younger brother James Adam were selected to design the building, James took charge of the commission and the design is credited to him. It was completed in 1771. It was originally used to accommodate the assembly rooms and courts for the county. It also housed the town's corn exchange until the mid-nineteenth century.
Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, it became the meeting place of Hertfordshire County Council. After the County Council moved to County Hall, a larger and more modern complex located further from the town centre, in 1939, the shire hall was used solely as a family magistrates' court.