County Hall

Details

SE 39 SE ROMAN BOROUGHBRIDGE ROAD (east side) 0/859 County Hall

II* County Council headquarters. 1904-1914 by W H Brierley for North Riding of Yorkshire County Council. Neo-Wren Style. Ashlar and red brick in English bond, with ashlar dressings and graduated Westmorland slate roof. Square courtyard plan. Main front of 15 bays with 23 bay returns. In centre of courtyard a square building housing the council chamber. To rear of left return a 9 bay wind. Two storeys throughout except 3 central bays of main front with attic storey. Continuous moulded ashlar plinth throughout. Main front: 15 bays, 1:5:3:5:1. Central 3 bays break forward, with centre bay of ashlar and flanking bays of red brick. 7 steps up to central double half- glazed doors in round arched doorway with impost band and moulded archivolt with console keystone which supports balcony above. Central bay is flanked by full height engaged Corinthian columns, bays to each side have full height Corinthian pilasters set on ashlar strips which clasp the corners. Side bays have round arched windows with glazing bars, impost bands, moulded archivolts and double keystones. First floor: large casement windows with glazing bars, outer windows have shouldered aprons with fielded panels. All have moulded architraves with frieze and cornices. Central window leads on to balcony with cast iron balustrade. Above the window cornice, set in a semi-circle, are the county arms, surrounded by foliage decoration. Window and arms set in wide eared, round arched architrave with large double keystone. Frieze with dosserets over the columns and pilasters, modillioned cornice, open pediment to central bay. Attic storey has oculi to outer bays in moulded architraves, stepped end piers and stepped panel over central bay. Moulded copings. Hipped roof, banded ashlar and brick corniced end stacks. Flanking 5 bay brick wings have unequally hung 15 pane ground floor sashes with segmental heads in eared architraves with double keystones, and sills, each with a plain ashlar apron below. Ashlar band at impost level of windows. First floor: unequally hung 15 pane sashes in eared and shouldered architraves with moulded sills, stone bands at lintel and sill level of windows. Moulded cornice,low parapets with moulded copings. Pair of brick ridge stacks with round arched panels to sides, to each wing. Outer bays break forward with raised ashlar quoins and raised ashlar central panel. To the left bay this panel has full height panelled pilasters to either side and a central ground floor unequally hung 15 pane sash in eared and shouldered architrave with double keystone. Continuous sill band. First floor: large round arched window with glazing bars, set back in eared and shouldered architrave with double keystone. Below the sill is a central shield flanked by large festoons in Wren style. First floor window, breaks through moulded cornice. Low parapet, stepped up section over the window decorated with festoons, cornice and blocking course to top. Right bay similar. Hipped roofs. Corniced ridge stacks with round arched panels. Return elevations in similar style; segmental arched sashes with aprons to ground floor and taller sashes over, all in architraves. Every fourth bay of right return is in ashlar, bays 4, 12 and 20 are advanced and pedimented. Central courtyard houses boiler-house with council chamber above. To first floor each facade has large Diocletian window, breaking through the cornice. Hipped roof with arched dormers containing round windows. To top a square cupola, each side with pedimented louvred opening; lead dome with weathervane. Interior; Council chamber has Baroque detailing, domed ceiling set in heavily coffered window arches supported by Corinthian columns. Pendentives have plain circle motifs. Dome lit by 4 round windows. The grand Committee Room has full height Corinthian column screen. Doorways have moulded architraves, friezes and segmental pediments. Good fire surround with Ionic columns, frieze and cornice. Eared and shouldered overmantel with swagged coat of arms in pediment above. Cornice with dentils and modillions. Entrance hall and main staircase: groin vaulted entrance hall on Tuscan columns leads to grand Imperial staircase with large panelled newels, bulbous balusters and polished stone handrail. C16 statue to top of stairs of Samson killing the Philistine. Above staircase, an oval drum with balustraded gallery, ceiling supported by triple Tuscan columns. Elaborate Baroque plasterwork. To rear of top landing, three round arches with archivolts and double keystones, central arch on Tuscan columns. Corridors: groin vaulted on Tuscan pilasters with black and white marble floors. Source: 'Brierley in Yorkshire' by Patrick Nuttgens, York Georgian Society 1984 pp24-26.

Listing NGR: SE3658293192

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

332221

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Nuttgens, P, Brierley in Yorkshire The Architecture of the Turn of The Century, (1984), 24-26

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