The County Rooms, Hotel Street, Leicester
The former County Rooms is a Georgian building, the architect was J. Johnson of Leicester. It was started in 1792 and completed in 1800. It would have become Leicester's first hotel but the building was sold in 1799 with £3,300 still needed to complete it. It opened as the Leicester Assembly Rooms in 1800. It was used for the first time on 17 September to house the visitors to the Leicester Races held at Victoria Park. The ground floor was used as a coffee house and the upper floors for wedding receptions, banquets and balls.In 1817 it was adapted to become the Judges Lodgings belonging to the County Justices and known as the County Rooms. When it passed into the ownership of Leicester City Council it was renamed again, to The City Rooms. It was built in the classical style. There are niches on either side of the central window with figures of female musicians. Above each there is a small inset bas-relief of dancing figures.
