Details
NY 6820
332/1/10001
APPLEBY IN WESTMORLAND ,
THE SANDS,
Shire Hall
GV
II
Magistrates Court and offices, attached steps and boundary walls, formerly Assize and County Court. 1776-8, with additions of 1814 and 1879, and late C20 alterations. By Daniel Benn of Whitehaven.
Painted roughcast over rubble sandstone with ashlar dressings, later extensions of coursed red sandstone, ashlar ridge stacks , and hipped roofs with Westmorland slate coverings, laid to diminishing courses.
PLAN: Irregular U-shaped complex, which evolved behind original frontage range, and now with rear L-shaped range the survivor of late C19 remodelling and enlargement.
EXTERIOR: FRONT ( south-west ) ELEVATION: Asymmetrical 2-storey front of 8 bays, the right-hand bay an addition of 1813-4, approached by means of a flight of 7 steps running the full length of the frontage. 4 tall doorways to left-hand side with ashlar surrounds, double 4-panel doors and rectangular overlights. To the right, 3 tall windows with ashlar surrounds, timber cross frames and glazing bars. Added end bay with doorway detailed to match earlier doorways. Upper floor with 8 square window openings with ashlar surrounds, and glazing bar casements.
SIDE ( south-east ) ELEVATION: 2 bay return to frontage range, then 3 bay advanced gable, detailed as wide pediment. This has glazing bar sash windows, 8 over 12 panes to ground floor, and 4 over 8 panes to upper floor. Off-centre stub of former enclosure wall extends to south-east. Further right, set back late C19 extension of 6 bays, with 2-bay end coped gable slightly advanced. Off-centre doorway enclosed by C20 open porch. Sash window frames, some 6 over 6 pane, within flush ashlar surrounds. End gable extends north-westwards to enclose flagged courtyard, formerly the female prisoners yard, with glazing bar sashes to all courtyard window openings. Attached plain north-west wall with single doorway and blind barred openings ( the only surviving element of the former gaol ) completes enclosure. Attached to both end of this range are surviving sections of the security walling built when the complex also formed part of the County Gaol. This is a rubble wall of varying height, with flagstones inclined downwards and outward on the inner face of the upper walling. A ground plan of 1873 shows the full extent of the wall , of which the sections attached to the gabled range, and the fragment attached to advanced pedimented gable are surviving elements. The section extending south-eastward from the north-east corner of the site is the tallest and most substantial remnant.
INTERIOR: Courtroom interior remodelled late C20, but retaining late C19 stepped panelled partition walling on one side. Other areas plainly detailed with late C19 joinery. HISTORY: The designs for the new Shire Hall were prepared by Daniel Benn, the Whitehaven agent of Sir James Lowther. The later additions provided, firstly a new jury room and offices, and later, facilities for the attached parts of the County Gaol.
A late C18 court building, enlarged and remodelled to form part of a complex of court and prison facilities, and, despite ongoing alteration, still displaying characteristics of all stages of its development.
Listing NGR: NY6853720403
