County hall

A county hall or shire hall is a common name given to a building that houses the seat of local government for a county.

The location of the county hall has usually denoted the county town.

In the case of Surrey, England, when county boundaries changed the county hall remained in Kingston upon Thames.^[1] County halls usually contain a council chamber, committee rooms and offices.^[2]

List of county and shire halls

United Kingdom

England

County halls in England, with the ceremonial county they served, include:^[a]

Image	Name	Town or city	County	Years built	Style	Years in use	Reference
	Avon House	Bristol	Avon	1969-1972	International style	1974-1996: Avon County Council (council abolished) 1996-1999: Bristol City Council 1999-present: private use as a hotel	[3]
	County Hall	Bedford	Bedfordshire	1965-1969	Brutalist style	1970-2009: Bedfordshire County Council (council abolished) 2009-present: Bedford Borough Council	[4]
	Shire Hall	Reading	Berkshire	1981	Brutalist style	1981-1998: Berkshire County Council 2000-2017: Foster Wheeler AG 2017-present: John Wood Group plc	[5]
	City Hall	Bristol	Bristol	1938-1952	Neo-Georgian style	1956-present: Bristol City Council	[6]
	County Hall	Aylesbury	Buckinghamshire	1964-1966	Brutalist style	1966-2020: Buckinghamshire County Council 2020-present Buckinghamshire Council	[7]
	Shire Hall	Cambridge	Cambridgeshire	1932	Neo-Georgian style	1932-2020: Cambridgeshire County Council 2020-present: hotel and office development	[8]
	New Shire Hall	Alconbury Weald	Cambridgeshire	2019-2020	Modern style	2020-present: Cambridgeshire County Council	[9]
	County Hall	Chester	Cheshire	1938-1957	Neo-Georgian style	1957-2009: Cheshire County Council (council abolished) 2009-present: University of Chester	[10]
	Municipal Buildings	Middlesbrough	Cleveland	1883-1889	French Gothic Style	1889-1968: Middlesbrough Borough Council (council abolished) 1968-1974: Teesside County Borough Council (council abolished) 1974-1996: Cleveland County Council (council abolished) 1966-present: Middlesbrough Council	[11]
	County Hall	Truro	Cornwall	1966	Brutalist style	1966-2009: Cornwall County Council (council abolished) 2009-present: Cornwall Council	[12]
	Cumbria House	Carlisle	Cumberland / Cumbria	2016	Modern style	2016-2023: Cumbria County Council 2023-present: Cumberland Council	[13]
	County Hall	Matlock	Derbyshire	1867	Victorian neo-gothic	1867-1955: Smedley's Hydropathic Hospital 1955-present: Derbyshire County Council	[14]
	County Hall	Exeter	Devon	1958-1964	Neo-classical style	1964-present: Devon County Council	[15]
	County Hall	Dorchester	Dorset	1938-1955	Art Deco style	1955-2019: Dorset County Council 2019-present: Dorset Council	[16]
	County Hall	Durham	County Durham	1960-1963	Brutalist style	1963-present: Durham County Council	[17]
	County Hall	Lewes	East Sussex	1968	Modern style	1968-present: East Sussex County Council Also used by Lewes District Council	[18]
	County Hall	Beverley	East Riding of Yorkshire	1881	Flemish Renaissance style	1889-1974: East Riding County Council 1974-1996: Humberside County Council 1996-present: East Riding of Yorkshire Council	[19]
	County Hall	Chelmsford	Essex	1909	Neo-classical style	1909-present: Essex County Council	[20]
	Shire Hall	Gloucester	Gloucestershire	1816	Neo-classical style	1816-present: Gloucestershire County Council	[21]
	City Hall	London	Greater London	2012	Modern style	2012-present: Greater London Authority	[22]
	County Hall	Manchester	Greater Manchester	1973	Modern style	1974-1986: Greater Manchester County Council 1986-present: Commercial offices	[23]
	Castle Hill	Winchester	Hampshire	1833	Elizabethan style	1889-present: Hampshire County Council	[24]
	Shirehall	Hereford	Herefordshire	1817	Neo-classical style	1889-1974: Herefordshire County Council 1998-present: Herefordshire Council	[25]
	County Hall	Hertford	Hertfordshire	1939	Neo-Georgian style with Scandinavian elements	1939-present: Hertfordshire County Council	[26]
	County Hall	Boston	Holland	1927	Gothic Revival style	1927-1974: Holland County Council 1974-present:Public library	[27]
	Walden House	Huntingdon	Huntingdonshire	1674	Jacobean style	1889-1965: Huntingdonshire County Council 1965-1974: Huntingdon and Peterborough County Council 1974-present: Municipal offices and then private apartments	[28]
	County Hall	March	Isle of Ely	1909	Edwardian style	1909-1965: Isle of Ely County Council 1974-present: Fenland District Council	[29]
	County Hall	Newport	Isle of Wight	1938	Neo-Georgian style	1938-present: Isle of Wight County Council	[30]
	County Hall	Maidstone	Kent	1824	Greek Revival style	1889-present: Kent County Council	[31]
	County Offices	Sleaford	Kesteven	1856	Italianate style	1925-1974: Kesteven County Council 1974-present: North Kesteven District Council	[32]
	County Hall	Preston	Lancashire	1882	Queen Anne revival style	1889-present: Lancashire County Council	[33]
	County Hall	Glenfield	Leicestershire	1967	Brutalist style	1967-present: Leicestershire County Council	[34]
	County Offices	Lincoln	Lindsey / Lincolnshire	1932	Neo-Georgian style	1932-1974: Lindsey County Council 1974-present: Lincolnshire County Council	[35]
	The Guildhall	Westminster	Middlesex	1913	Neo-Gothic style	1913-1965: Middlesex County Council 1965-2009: Used as a court 2009-present: Supreme Court of the United Kingdom	[36]
	Metropolitan House	Liverpool	Merseyside	1974	Modern style	1974-1986: Merseyside County Council 1986-present: Commercial offices	[37]
	County Hall	Norwich	Norfolk	1968	Modern style	1968-present: Norfolk County Council	[38]
	County Hall	Northampton	Northamptonshire	1845	Neo-classical style	1899-2021: Northamptonshire County Council 2021-present: Tourist Information Centre	[39]
	County Hall	Morpeth	Northumberland	1981	Modern style	1981-present: Northumberland County Council	[40]
	County Hall	Northallerton	North Yorkshire	1906	Edwardian Baroque style	1906-1974: North Riding County Council 1974-present: North Yorkshire County Council	[41]
	County Hall	Nottingham	Nottinghamshire	1954	Modern style	1954-present: Nottinghamshire County Council	[42]
	County Hall	Oxford	Oxfordshire	1841	Gothic Revival style	1899-present: Oxfordshire County Council	[43]
	Catmose House	Oakham	Rutland	1781	Neo-classical style	1899-1974: Rutland County Council 1997-present: Rutland County Council	[44]
	Shirehall	Shrewsbury	Shropshire	1966	Modern style	1966-present: Shropshire County Council	[45]
	County Hall	Taunton	Somerset	1935	Neo-Georgian style	1935-present: Somerset County Council	[46]
	County Hall	Barnsley	South Yorkshire	1960	Brutalist style	1974-1986: South Yorkshire County Council 1974-2015: Commercial offices (demolished in 2015)	[47]
	County Buildings	Stafford	Staffordshire	1895	Baroque revival style	1899-present: Staffordshire County Council	[48]
	Endeavour House	Ipswich	Suffolk	2003	Modern style	2003-present: Suffolk County Council	[49]
	Woodhatch Place	Reigate	Surrey	1999	Modern style	2020-present: Surrey County Council	[50]
	Sandyford House	Newcastle upon Tyne	Tyne and Wear	1974	Brutalist style	1974-1986: Tyne and Wear County Council 1986-present: Commercial offices	[51]
	Shire Hall	Warwick	Warwickshire	1758	Neo-classical style	1899-present: Warwickshire County Council	[52]
	County Hall	Birmingham	West Midlands	1970	Brutalist style	1974-1986: West Midlands County Council 1986-present: Commercial offices	[53]
	County Hall	Kendal	Westmorland	1939	Neo-Georgian style	1939-1974: Westmorland County Council 1974-2024: Municipal offices	[54]
	County Hall	Chichester	West Sussex	1933	Neo-Georgian style	1933-present: West Sussex County Council	[55]
	County Hall	Wakefield	West Yorkshire	1898	Gothic Revival style	1898-1974: West Riding County Council 1974-1986: West Yorkshire County Council 1986-present: Wakefield Metropolitan District Council	[56]
	County Hall	Trowbridge	Wiltshire	1940	Neo-Georgian style	1940-present: Wiltshire County Council	[57]
	County Hall	Worcester	Worcestershire	1978	Brutalist style	1978-1998: Hereford and Worcester County Council 1998-present: Worcestershire County Council	[58]

Scotland

County halls ceased to have a role in Scotland in 1975, when a system of large regional councils was introduced.^[59] Former county halls in Scotland, with the county they served, include:^[b]

Name	Town or city	County	Reference
County Buildings	Aberdeen	Aberdeenshire	[60]
County Buildings	Forfar	Angus	[61]
County Buildings	Inveraray	Argyll	[62]
County Buildings	Ayr	Ayrshire	[63]
County Buildings	Banff	Banffshire	[64]
County Buildings	Duns	Berwickshire	[65]
County Buildings	Rothesay	Buteshire	[66]
County Offices	Wick	Caithness	[67]
County Buildings	Alloa	Clackmannanshire	[68]
County Buildings	Dumfries	Dumfriesshire	[69]
County Buildings	Dumbarton	Dunbartonshire	[70]
County Buildings	Haddington	East Lothian	[71]
County Buildings	Cupar	Fife	[72]
County Buildings	Inverness	Inverness-shire	[73]
County Buildings	Stonehaven	Kincardineshire	[74]
County Buildings	Kinross	Kinross-shire	[75]
County Buildings	Kirkcudbright	Kirkcudbrightshire	[76]
County Buildings	Hamilton	Lanarkshire	[77]
County Buildings	Edinburgh	Midlothian	[78]
County Buildings	Elgin	Morayshire	[79]
Town and County Buildings	Nairn	Nairnshire	[80]
County Buildings	Kirkwall	Orkney	[81]
County Buildings	Peebles	Peeblesshire	[82]
County Offices	Perth	Perthshire	[83]
County Buildings	Paisley	Renfrewshire	[84]
County Buildings	Dingwall	Ross and Cromarty	[85]
County Offices	Newtown St Boswells	Roxburghshire	[86]
County Buildings	Selkirk	Selkirkshire	[87]
County Buildings	Stirling	Stirlingshire	[88]
County Offices	Golspie	Sutherland	[89]
County Buildings	Linlithgow	West Lothian	[90]
County Buildings	Wigtown	Wigtownshire	[91]
County Buildings	Lerwick	Zetland	[92]

Northern Ireland

County halls ceased to have a role in Northern Ireland in 1973, when a system of local government districts was introduced.^[93] Former county halls in Northern Ireland, with the county they served, include:^[c]

Name	Town or city	County	Reference
County Hall	Ballymena	County Antrim	[94]
Charlemont Place	Armagh	County Armagh	[95]
Downpatrick Courthouse	Downpatrick	County Down	[96]
County Buildings	Enniskillen	County Fermanagh	[97]
County Hall	Coleraine	County Londonderry	[98]
County Hall	Omagh	County Tyrone	[99]

Wales

County halls in Wales, with the county they served, include:^[d]

Historic counties

Name	Town or city	County	Reference
Shire Hall	Llangefni	Anglesey	[100]
Shire Hall	Brecon	Brecknockshire	[101]
County Hall	Caernarfon	Caernarfonshire	[102]
County Offices	Aberystwyth	Cardiganshire	[103]
County Hall	Carmarthen	Carmarthenshire	[104]
County Hall	Ruthin	Denbighshire	[105]
County Hall	Mold	Flintshire	[106]
County Hall	Cardiff	Glamorganshire	[107]
County Hall	Dolgellau	Merionethshire	[108]
Shire Hall	Newport	Monmouthshire	[109]
County Offices	Welshpool	Montgomeryshire	[110]
Shire Hall	Haverfordwest	Pembrokeshire	[111]
County Offices	Llandrindod Wells	Radnorshire	[112]

Preserved counties

Name	Town or city	County	Reference
County Hall	Mold	Clwyd	[113]
County Hall	Carmarthen	Dyfed	[114]
County Hall	Cwmbran	Gwent	[115]
Council Offices	Caernarfon	Gwynedd	[116]
County Hall	Cardiff (Cathays Park)	Mid Glamorgan	[117]
County Hall	Llandrindod Wells	Powys	[118]
County Hall	Cardiff (Butetown)	South Glamorgan	[119]
County Hall	Swansea	West Glamorgan	[120]

Republic of Ireland

County halls in the Republic of Ireland, with the county they serve, include:

Name	Town or city	County	Reference
County Buildings	Carlow	County Carlow	[121]
Cavan Courthouse	Cavan	County Cavan	[122]
County Building	Ennis	County Clare	[123]
County Hall	Cork	County Cork	[124]
County House	Lifford	County Donegal	[125]
County Hall	Dún Laoghaire	Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown	[126]
County Hall	Swords	Fingal	[127]
County Hall	Galway	County Galway	[128]
County Hall	Tralee	County Kerry	[129]
County Building	Naas	County Kildare	[130]
County Hall	Kilkenny	County Kilkenny	[131]
County Hall	Portlaoise	County Laois	[132]
County Hall	Carrick-on-Shannon	County Leitrim	[133]
Civic Offices	Limerick	County Limerick	[134]
County Hall	Longford	County Longford	[135]
County Hall	Dundalk	County Louth	[136]
County Hall	Castlebar	County Mayo	[137]
County Hall	Navan	County Meath	[138]
County Offices	Monaghan	County Monaghan	[139]
County Hall	Tullamore	County Offaly	[140]
County Hall	Roscommon	County Roscommon	[141]
County Hall	Sligo	County Sligo	[142]
County Hall	Tallaght	South Dublin	[143]
Civic Offices	Nenagh	County Tipperary (formerly North Tipperary)	[144]
Civic Offices	Clonmel	County Tipperary (formerly South Tipperary)	[145]
Civic Offices	Dungarvan	County Waterford	[146]
County Buildings	Mullingar	County Westmeath	[147]
County Hall	Wexford	County Wexford	[148]
County Buildings	Wicklow	County Wicklow	[149]

See also

• Seat of local government
• Old County Hall, Truro
• Old Shirehall, Shrewsbury
• Old Shire Hall, Durham

Notes

1. Some of the English county councils have been abolished to make way for unitary authorities and the respective county halls have either been transferred to successor authorities or have been the subject of change of use
2. All of the Scottish county councils have been abolished to make way for regional authorities and subsequently unitary authorities and the respective county halls have either been transferred to successor authorities or have been the subject of change of use
3. All of the Northern Irish county councils have been abolished to make way for local government districts and the respective county halls have either been transferred to successor authorities or have been the subject of change of use
4. Some of the Welsh county councils have been abolished to make way for unitary authorities and the respective county halls have either been transferred to successor authorities or have been the subject of change of use