County Hall, Coventry

County Hall

County Hall on Cuckoo Lane is now a bar
General information
Location Cathedral Quarter, Coventry
Coordinates 52°24′29″N 1°30′31″W / 52.4080°N 1.5086°W / 52.4080; -1.5086Coordinates: 52°24′29″N 1°30′31″W / 52.4080°N 1.5086°W / 52.4080; -1.5086
Opening 1783
Technical details
Floor count 2
Design and construction
Architect Samuel Eglinton

County Hall is a historic former courthouse (Grade II* listed)[1] in Coventry's Cathedral Quarter. It was designed by architect Samuel Eglinton and opened in 1783.[2] Land adjacent to the building was used as a gaol; the Prison Governor's House is still attached to the building.[3] It is thought that the building may have been a second guildhall in Coventry, in addition to St Mary's Guildhall.[4]

History

The interior of the bar, showing the preserved aspects of the courthouse.

The Hall was opened in 1783[2] when it was used as a county court. Its most notable case was in 1849 which resulted in the hanging of Mary Ball (who had been found guilty of poisoning her husband) outside the court - the last person to be hanged there,[5] which had over 20,000 spectators.[6]

The courts moved to their current site on Much Park Street in 1988 and the building lay empty until it was bought for use as a bar in 2000. The interior was redesigned although aspects of the courthouse such as the judge's chair and public gallery were left untouched.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to County Hall, Coventry.

References

  1. ↑ "County Hall, Coventry". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  2. 1 2 Shoker, Sandish (28 May 2012). "Order! Bar opens in Coventry's old court house and jail". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  3. ↑ "Heritage and history". Coventry Society. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  4. ↑ "Dig For History, Urges Enthusiast". Coventry news. 14 August 2000. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  5. ↑ "Welcome to the Establishment". Coventry Society. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
  6. ↑ Goulden, Barbara (15 January 2000). "Old jail will have clink of glasses". Coventry Evening Telegraph.
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