The Old Court House, Ruthin


The Old Court House, Ruthin, Denbighshire, North Wales was built in 1421 and is a Grade II* Listed Building. It was a branch of the National Westminster Bank until its closure in 2017 and is notable for being the first building to be attacked at the outset of Owain Glyndŵr's revolt on 6 September 1400. The previous building on the site of the old court house was an establishment owned by the de Grey's which made it a prime target for Owain Glyndwr in his 1400 sacking of Ruthin. The court house served until 1663 when the town hall was built on the square.
The current building replaced the destroyed building and was the local administrative centre, court, and gaol. Visible within are fine old roof timbers, and on the north-west outside corner is the stump of a gallows beam. The courthouse and cells remained in use from 1420 to 1785 when the new shire hall was built eventually becoming a county court in 1860. Between 1785 and 1860 the police station was housed in Ruthin Gaol. Ruthin could claim to be a county town under the Acts of Union passed during the reign of Henry VIII, with the appropriate meetings of the Court Quarter Sessions and the Great Sessions being held in the town. Ruthin's claim to be a county town was secured with the building of Denbighshire County Council offices however this status was lost under the local government reorganisation in 1974.
The old court house was in commercial use during the 18th century: in 1741 a petition was raised by butchers of the town and given to the owner Richard Myddleton complaining their meat was exposed to all elements of weather. This resulted in the building of “the shambles” a lean-to on the north face of the building a two storey construction, photos show 3 dormer windows set into the roof.The butchers earned extra income by offering grandstand seating on the roof for views of the bear baiting which took place on the Square.