Coroners Courthouse

Details

GRIMSBY

TA2608NE BRIGHOWGATE
699-1/26/19 (South East side)
31/10/74 Coroner's Courthouse
(Formerly Listed as:
BRIGHOWGATE
(East side)
The County Courthouse and wall to
the west of the County Courthouse)

GV II

County courthouse and police station, now Coroner's
courthouse. 1902 by HC Scaping of Grimsby for Lindsey County
Court. Orange brick in English garden wall bond with composite
stone and terracotta dressings. Welsh slate roof, with leaded
roof to cupola. Edwardian Freestyle, with an unusual mixture
of Baroque and Art Nouveau detailing. T-shaped main courthouse
range with 2 wings and small courtyard to rear.
EXTERIOR: tall single storey, 3 bays; symmetrical, with
projecting central gabled wing containing entrance. Chamfered
plinth, base with string course carrying angle pilasters and
full-height Doric pilasters flanking each bay; flush ashlar
bands to gables. Entrance occupies full width of central wing,
with a pair of segmental-arched doorways. Carved double doors
with stained glass panels incorporating shields, beneath large
stained glass overlights with Art Nouveau-style floral
designs. Ovolo-moulded arches carried on short columns, the
arches with tall keystones and a band of pellet mouldings
clasped by scrolled ribbons, the spandrels with elaborate
cartouches, ribbonwork etc., and, to the centre, a shield
inscribed LCC. All this within a surround with double
pilasters and dosserets carrying broken pediments containing
obelisk finials with strapwork supports.
The recessed central section has a terracotta frieze with
ribbon-style lettering "COUNTY POLICE", flanking a central
bowl-shaped projection decorated with relief strapwork, above
which is a tall 2-light first-floor window with an eared and
scrolled shouldered architrave, and a pedimented head with a
keystone carrying a medallion with the Royal crown and date in
relief. Parapet and steep gable with finial and moulded coping
scrolled at the base; projecting angle pilasters with moulded
cornice and urns on pedestals.
Side elevations of central wing have single ground-floor
2-light window in eared brick surround with shaped apron and
broken pediment with tall keystone, flush sill band and
moulded string course at lintel level, first-floor band and

single oval window in keyed architrave.
Side bays to main range have twin windows in moulded brick
reveals and eared brick architraves with corniced sills and a
flush ashlar sill band, beneath brick flat arches with stepped
keystones linked by a string course. All the windows to this
range are tall and narrow, of 2 lights, with moulded composite
stone mullions and transoms and patterned leaded lights.
Boldly-projecting eaves cornice, parapet and gables with
moulded coping and angle pilasters carrying urns on scrolled
bases. Steeply-pitched roof with crested ridge tiles and
central cupola with keyed round-arched openings, cornice and
onion dome with finial. Lateral stack to rear with panelled
shaft, frieze and ornate cap with keyed segmental pediment and
cornice. Left gable-end has similar decorative details, with a
stepped triple 2-light window, the taller central window with
a tall keystone carrying a cornice with a relief above of an
obelisk with strapwork supports. Above this, the gable has 3
shaped slit-lights and a relief cartouche at the apex.
Single-storey 2-bay wing to rear left has segmental-headed
entrance to left with original panelled half-glazed door
beneath overlight with glazing bars in a chamfered surround
with rusticated arch. Twin sashes with glazing bars, stone
sills with shaped aprons, flush sill band and eared surround
rising up to moulded swagged arches with stepped keystones in
a plain stone eaves frieze with a moulded cornice. Coped
gable, panelled stack. Lower section to left has small-paned
window, plain stone frieze and cornice; hipped roof. Wing to
rear right is similar but one bay longer.
Rear courtyard entrance porch to main range with shaped
parapet. Rear of main range has a pair of 3-light courtroom
windows beneath shaped keyed heads in stone surround.
INTERIOR: courtroom has panelled dado, complete set of court
fittings in panelled pine; painted sculpted Royal Arms on
corbelled moulded shelf above dias; panelled doors in
architraves with open segmental pedimented overdoors, 4-bay
roof with boldly carved hammerbeams with Baroque and Art
Nouveau decoration, carring central basket-arched vault.
Panelled solicitors' room to front left.
HISTORY: operated as a Lindsey and Lincolnshire County
Courthouse until the 1970s, with the County Police Station to
the rear (Grimsby Borough had its own courthouse and police
station at the Town Hall (qv).
A distinguished building in an unusual style and, together
with Cleethorpes Town Hall (in Edwardian Classical style),
Herbert Scaping's best work.
Forms a group with the garden walls and gates to the front
(qv) and those to the north now in the front garden of No.36
Brighowgate (qv).

(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N, Harris J, & Antram N:
Lincolnshire: London: 1989-: 340; Grimsby - Action for
Conservation: Grimsby Borough Planning Department: List of
buildings of local architectural or historical interest:
Grimsby Borough Council: 1972-: NO.115; Grimsby Planning
Department: Wellow Conservation Area: Grimsby Borough Council:
1972-: NO.115).




Listing NGR: TA2661808907

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

478758

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Pevsner, N, John, H, The Buildings of England: Lincolnshire, (1964), 340

End of official list entry

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