Peterhead Sheriff Court
{{short description|Judicial building in Peterhead, Scotland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name = Peterhead Sheriff Court
| native_name =
| image = Peterhead Sheriff Court (geograph 6800903).jpg
| caption =The building in 2020
| locmapin =Scotland Aberdeenshire
| map_caption =Shown in Aberdeenshire
| coordinates ={{Coord| 57.5068|N| 1.7810|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| location = Queen Street, Peterhead
| area =
| built =1871
| architect = William Smith
| architecture = Scottish baronial style
| governing_body =
| website=
}}
Peterhead Sheriff Court is a judicial building in Queen Street in Peterhead in Scotland. The building was expanded with a large extension in the late 1990s and continues to be used as a courthouse.
History
A sheriff-substitute, who was resident in Peterhead, was first appointed in 1841.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YJlnAAAAMAAJ |title= The County of Aberdeen |year=1960|page=297|first=Henry|last=Hamilton|publisher=Coliins|quote= In 1841, a Sheriff Substitute was appointed for the county of Aberdeen with a residence in Peterhead.}} In the 1860s, court officials decided to commission a dedicated courthouse for the town. The site they selected was on the southwest side of Queen Street.{{cite web |url=https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=16.5&lat=57.5068&lon=-1.7810&layers=6&b=1&o=100&marker=57.5068,-1.7810|title=Ordnance Survey Six-inch 1st edition, 1843–1882 | access-date=2 October 2024}} The foundation stone for the new building was laid with full masonic honours on 16 August 1869.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AS0VqUuntaAC&pg=PA693 |title=From Scotland: Peterhead|publisher=The Builder|date=28 August 1869}} It was designed by William Smith in the Scottish baronial style, built in ashlar stone at a cost of £2,600 and was completed in 1871.{{cite web|url= https://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/apex/r/dsa/dsa/buildings?p9_id=213191 |title=Peterhead Court House|publisher=Dictionary of Scottish Architects| access-date=2 October 2024}}{{cite web|url= http://www.visitoruk.com/peterhead/19th-century-T4336.html#google_vignette |title= Timeline History of Peterhead|publisher=Visitor UK| access-date=2 October 2024}}
The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage of three bays facing onto Queen Street. The first two bays were fenestrated by segmental headed windows with voussoirs on the ground floor, and by sash windows with tall pediments surmounted by finials on the first floor. The right-hand bay, which was slightly projected forward, featured a segmental headed doorway flanked by pilasters and brackets supporting a balcony with ornate railings: there was a tripartite window with a panel in the hood mould on the first floor, and a stepped gable above. Internally, the principal rooms included the two courtrooms and three prison cells.{{cite web|url= https://prisonsinspectoratescotland.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publication_files/00393863.pdf|title= Inspection of the Conditions in which Prisoners are Transported and Held in Sheriff and JP Courts while Under Escort|date=20 March 2012|publisher= H. M. Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland| access-date=22 September 2024|page=141}}
A large extension, designed by the Property Services Agency in the modern style, was built on the northwest side of the building, along St Peter Street, and was completed in the late 1990s.{{cite web|url= https://mla-architects.co.uk/portfolio/peterhead-sheriff-court/ |title= Peterhead Sheriff Court|publisher=MLA Architects| access-date=1 October 2024}} The design involved a cladding system using granite panels from Blackhill Quarry. However, after being exposed to sustained adverse weather in a location close to the North Sea, the cladding system started to deteriorate. An extensive programme of refurbishment works, involving the replacement of the granite cladding with new aluminium cladding, was completed by Clark Contracts at a cost of £1.5 million to a design by Michael Laurie Architects in 2019.{{cite news|url= https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/refurbishment-works-begin-at-peterhead-sheriff-and-jp-court |title= Refurbishment works begin at Peterhead Sheriff and JP Court|date=13 March 2019| newspaper=Scottish Legal News| access-date=2 October 2024}}{{cite news|url= https://www.scottishlegal.com/articles/peterhead-sheriff-and-justice-of-the-peace-court-s-new-roof-and-cladding-completed |title= Peterhead Sheriff and Justice of the Peace Court's new roof and cladding completed|date=2 December 2019|newspaper=Scottish Legal News| access-date=2 October 2024}}{{cite news|url= https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/crime-courts/1698996/work-begins-on-million-pound-refurbishment-of-peterhead-sheriff-court/ |title= Peterhead Sheriff Court refurbishment complete|date=3 December 2019|newspaper=Press and Journal| access-date=2 October 2024}} This enabled the building to continue to serve as the venue for sheriff court hearings in the area.{{cite web|url= https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/courts-and-tribunals/courts-tribunals-and-office-locations/find-us/peterhead-sheriff-court-and-justice-of-the-peace-court/ |title=Peterhead Sheriff Court and Justice of the Peace Court|publisher=Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service|access-date=2 October 2024}}