County Hall, Dolgellau Explained

County Hall
Native Name:Neuadd y Sir Dolgellau
Coordinates:52.7441°N -3.8848°W
Location:Smithfield Street, Dolgellau
Built:1825
Architect:Edward Haycock
Architecture:Neoclassical style
Designation1 Number:5073
Designation1 Date:12 February 1952
Designation1 Offname:County Hall
Designation1:Grade II* Listed Building

County Hall (Welsh: Neuadd y Sir Dolgellau) is a municipal building in Smithfield Street, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, Wales. The structure, which was the headquarters of Merionethshire County Council, is a Grade II* listed building.

History

The first county building in the town was the old courthouse (Welsh: Y Sospan) in Queen's Square which was built in rubble masonry and completed in 1606. However, by the early 19th century the justices decided it was too small and sought a more substantial structure.[1]

The building in Smithfield Street was designed by Edward Haycock in the neoclassical style, built in ashlar stone at a cost of £3,000 and was completed in 1825.[2] [3] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with five bays facing onto Smithfield Street with the end bays shorter than the central section and projected forward; the central section of three bays was fenestrated by three large segmental windows flanked by Tuscan order pilasters, while the end bays contained arched openings with wrought iron gates. The central section and each of the two end bays were surmounted by modillioned pediments. Internally, the principal room was the main courtroom which was in the central section.

The building continued to serve in a judicial capacity as the venue for the courts of assize, with the justices alternating their weekly hearings between Dolgellau and Bala.[4] Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, Merionethshire County Council set up its headquarters in the building,[5] before moving to modern facilities at Cae Penarlag in Dolgellau in 1953.[6]

The building continued to serve as the venue for magistrates' court hearings until the courts service relocated to the Caernarfon Criminal Justice Centre in 2016.[7] The building then remained vacant for two years before being occupied by a dentist's practice in 2018.[8]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Old Shire Hall, Dolgellau. Archives Hub. 29 May 2022.
  2. Book: Colvin, Howard Montagu. A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840: Third Edition. 1995 . Yale University Press. 978-0300125085. 479.
  3. Web site: Dolgellau Town Trail. Garthyfog Farm. 29 May 2022.
  4. Book: Hemingway, Joseph . Panorama of the Beauties, Curiosities and Antiquities of North Wales. 155. 1844. R. Groombridge.
  5. Web site: Historic Landscape Characterisation: Dolgellau. Gwynedd Archaeological Trust. 29 May 2022.
  6. Web site: Chronology. Dolgellau. 6 October 1964. 29 May 2022.
  7. News: Dolgellau court to close. 11 February 2016. Cambrian News. 29 May 2022.
  8. News: Toothache town where patients faced 100 mile journey for NHS dentist finally has a cure. 17 November 2018. Daily Post. 29 May 2022.