Shire Hall. The Shire Hall is a public building in Stafford, England, completed in 1798 to a design by John Harvey.
Formerly a courthouse, it housed an art gallery which closed to the public in July 2017. The court rooms and cells are preserved.
The building, its interiors, and the associated street furniture were grade II* listed on 17 December 1971, when it was described as One of the finest public buildings in Stafford. The current building is the third of similar function on the site.
The county court met in Stafford as early as 1176. A shire hall, home to the county court and other civic functions, stood on the north side of what is now Market Square in the 1280s.
In the 1580s, the decision was made to rebuild the shire hall, on a new site, but this was not completed until 1607, probably due to difficulties raising the money needed. By 1793, it had been decided, due to the building's poor condition caused by inadequate maintenance, that a new building was needed, and the Stafford Shire Hall Act 1794 was passed by parliament. Designs were submitted by Samuel Wyatt, then working at nearby Shugborough Hall, and by John Nash, but the one chosen was by John Harvey-his only significant building. Harvey had worked as Wyatt's assistant or pupil, and Wyatt is believed to have been involved in the final Neoclassical style design. Building began in 1795, and the hall was completed in 1798. The h
Formerly a courthouse, it housed an art gallery which closed to the public in July 2017. The court rooms and cells are preserved.
The building, its interiors, and the associated street furniture were grade II* listed on 17 December 1971, when it was described as One of the finest public buildings in Stafford. The current building is the third of similar function on the site.
The county court met in Stafford as early as 1176. A shire hall, home to the county court and other civic functions, stood on the north side of what is now Market Square in the 1280s.
In the 1580s, the decision was made to rebuild the shire hall, on a new site, but this was not completed until 1607, probably due to difficulties raising the money needed. By 1793, it had been decided, due to the building's poor condition caused by inadequate maintenance, that a new building was needed, and the Stafford Shire Hall Act 1794 was passed by parliament. Designs were submitted by Samuel Wyatt, then working at nearby Shugborough Hall, and by John Nash, but the one chosen was by John Harvey-his only significant building. Harvey had worked as Wyatt's assistant or pupil, and Wyatt is believed to have been involved in the final Neoclassical style design. Building began in 1795, and the hall was completed in 1798. The h
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