Shirehall, Hereford


The Shirehall is a building on St Peter's Square, Hereford, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a grade II* listed building.

History

The Shirehall, which was designed by Charles Heather under the instruction of Sir Robert Smirke, was completed in 1817. It features six doric columns in the portico. The exterior of the Shirehall closely follows that of Karl Friedrich Schinkel's Neue Wache on Unter den Linden in Berlin. An Act of parliament in 1815 allowed for "erecting a Shire Hall, Courts of Justice and other Buildings, for Public Purposes; and for providing suitable Accommodations for His Majesty's Justices of Assize, in and for the County of Hereford".
Although originally used as a facility for dispensing justice, following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, it also became the meeting place of Herefordshire County Council. After the creation of Hereford and Worcester County Council in 1974, County Hall in Worcester became the meeting place for the new combined County Council. However with the creation of the unitary authority known as Herefordshire Council in 1998, meetings of the new body with county-wide responsibilities are once again held at the Shirehall in Hereford.

Modern use

The Shirehall is home to Hereford Crown Court. The building forms part of the "Civic Hub" and some council staff are based there. Meetings of Herefordshire Council and of its committees take place in the Shirehall. Rooms in the Shirehall may be hired by members of the public.