:County Hall, Mold

File:Llwynegrin near Mold, Flintshire. A Seat of P. Davies Cooke Esqr.jpeg

File:Shire Hall, Mold geograph-2471217-by-Richard-Johnson (cropped).jpg

Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, Flintshire County Council set up its base at the old County Hall in Chester Street in Mold.{{NHAW|num=360|desc=Old County Hall|accessdate=15 April 2020}} Additional facilities acquired included a local militia barracks (originally designed by Thomas Mainwaring Penson) which was converted for use as council offices in the late 1880s.{{Citation | last =Hubbard | first =Edward | author-link = Edward Hubbard (architectural historian) | series= The Buildings of Wales |title = Clwyd | publisher =Penguin | year = 1986| location =London | isbn =0-14-071052-3 |pages=393–395}} After finding, in the 1930s, that the Chester Street facilities were too cramped, county leaders decided to procure modern facilities:{{cite web|url=https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/16257950.molds-modernist-masterpiece-shire-hall-marks-50-years-of-civic-service/|title=Mold's modernist masterpiece Shire Hall marks 50 years of civic service|date=30 May 2018|publisher=Leader Live|access-date=18 October 2019}} the site they selected formed part of the Llwynegrin Hall estate which was acquired for the purpose.{{cite web|url=https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/324056/364990/10/101071|title=Ordnance Survey Map|year=1914|access-date=1 November 2020}}{{efn|Llwynegrin Hall, which was designed by Thomas Jones of Chester in the Tudor style for Philip Davies Cooke of Gwysaney, was completed in 1830.{{Coflein|num=35987|desc=Llwynegrin Hall|access-date=1 November 2020}} It was acquired by Flintshire County Council in 1948 and became the local register office in April 2005.{{cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/village-register-office-to-close-2913144|title=Village register office to close|date=8 April 2005|publisher=Daily Post|access-date=14 November 2020}}}}

The new building, which was designed by the county architect, Robert Harvey, in the brutalist style and influenced by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, was completed in October 1967. The design for the seven-storey building, which involved a series a parallel wings, featured continuous rows of windows, every second of which had a heavy concrete surround: it was officially opened as the Shire Hall by Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon in May 1968. An extension to the building was opened by Princess Anne in July 1972. After the implementation of the Local Government Act 1972, the new building became the home of Clwyd County Council in 1974.Whitaker's Almanack 1979, p. 677

On 1 April 1996, under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Clwyd County Council was broken up and the building was acquired by the new Flintshire County Council who subsequently renamed it County Hall.{{cite web|url=http://www.oneplanetcouncil.org.uk/local-planning-authorities/|title=Local planning authorities|publisher=One Planet Council|access-date=18 October 2019}} The new Flintshire County Council also inherited the former Alyn and Deeside Borough Council Civic Offices, which had been built in 1992 at St David's Park in Ewloe in the community of Hawarden. The building at Ewloe was leased to Unilever for some years and was renamed "Unity House". By 2018, County Hall was proving very costly to maintain, while Unilever's lease of Unity House had ended and the council had tried to sell it without success. The council therefore decided to move several departments to Unity House, which it renamed {{langnf|cy|Tŷ Dewi Sant|St David's House}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.deeside.com/councillors-set-to-approve-funding-to-bulldoze-part-of-county-hall/|title=Councillors set to approve funding to bulldoze part of County Hall|date=15 March 2018|publisher=Deeside.com|access-date=18 October 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/hundreds-council-staff-begin-move-15476331|title=Hundreds of council staff begin move to new premises|date=28 November 2018|publisher=Daily Post|access-date=18 October 2019}} The rear wings of County Hall were then demolished in 2020, retaining only the front part of the building which includes the council chamber and some office space. County Hall therefore continues to serve as the council's official headquarters and meeting place, but many of the council's staff are now based at Tŷ Dewi Sant.{{cite news |title=Council staff set to move into Ewloe office complex in October |url=https://www.deeside.com/council-staff-set-to-move-into-ewloe-office-complex-in-october/ |access-date=3 November 2022 |work=Deeside.com |date=21 June 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Evans |first1=Owen |title=Work to demolish part of County Hall in Mold gets underway |url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/work-demolish-part-county-hall-18287103 |access-date=6 November 2022 |work=Daily Post |date=21 May 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://www.deeside.com/demolition-work-at-flintshire-councils-mold-hq-set-to-get-under-way-early-next-year/|title=Demolition work at Flintshire Council's Mold HQ set to get under way early next year|date=14 October 2019|publisher=Deeside.com|access-date=14 November 2020}}{{cite web|url=http://www.deeside.com/flintshire-council-defends-decision-to-go-ahead-with-mold-hq-demolition-work-during-coronavirus-pandemic/|title=Flintshire Council defends decision to go ahead with Mold HQ demolition work during coronavirus pandemic|date=6 April 2020|publisher=Deeside.com|access-date=14 November 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/work-demolish-part-county-hall-18287103|title=Work to demolish part of County Hall in Mold gets underway|date=21 May 2020|publisher=Daily Post|access-date=14 November 2020}}{{cite web |title=Council office addresses |url=https://www.flintshire.gov.uk/en/Resident/Contact-Us/Council-Office-Addresses.aspx |website=Flintshire County Council |access-date=6 November 2022}} In March 2025, the council had fully vacated the building, completing their move to Tŷ Dewi Sant in Ewloe.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-04 |title=End of an era as Flintshire Council moves out of Shire Hall |url=https://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/24980588.end-era-flintshire-council-moves-shire-hall/ |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=The Leader |language=en}}

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{{Government buildings in Wales}}

Category:Buildings and structures in Flintshire

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Category:Government buildings completed in 1967