County Hall, Coventry
| County Hall | |
|---|---|
 County Hall on Cuckoo Lane is now a bar | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Location | Cathedral Quarter, Coventry |
| Coordinates | 52°24′29″N 1°30′31″W / 52.4080°N 1.5086°W |
| Opened | 1783 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Samuel Eglinton |
County Hall is a historic former courthouse (Grade II* listed)[1] in Coventry's Cathedral Quarter. It was designed by architect Samuel Eglinton and opened in 1783.[2] Land adjacent to the building was used as a gaol; the Prison Governor's House is still attached to the building.[3] It is thought that the building may have been a second guildhall in Coventry, in addition to St Mary's Guildhall.[4]
History
The Hall was opened in 1783[2] when it was used as a county court. Its most notable case was in 1849 which resulted in the hanging of Mary Ball (who had been found guilty of poisoning her husband) outside the court - the last person to be hanged there,[5] which had over 20,000 spectators.[6]
The courts moved to their current site on Much Park Street in 1988 and the building lay empty until it was bought for use as a bar in 2000. The interior was redesigned although aspects of the courthouse such as the judge's chair and public gallery were left untouched.
See also
References
- ^ "County Hall, Coventry". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ a b Shoker, Sandish (28 May 2012). "Order! Bar opens in Coventry's old court house and jail". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "Heritage and history". Coventry Society. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Dig For History, Urges Enthusiast". Coventry news. 14 August 2000. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ "Welcome to the Establishment". Coventry Society. 7 June 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2012.
- ^ Goulden, Barbara (15 January 2000). "Old jail will have clink of glasses". Coventry Evening Telegraph.