Shirehall, Shrewsbury
{{short description|County building in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox building
| name = Shirehall, Shrewsbury
| native_name =
| image = Council Chamber, Shire Hall, Shrewsbury - geograph.org.uk - 1236320.jpg
| caption = Shirehall
| map_type = Shropshire
| address = Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury
| location_city =
| location_country = United Kingdom
| map_dot_label = Shirehall
| coordinates = {{coord|52.7050|-2.7315|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline,title}}
| completion_date = 1966
| former_names =
| architect =Ralph Crowe
| architectural_style =Modernist style
}}
Shirehall is a municipal facility in Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The building, which is the headquarters of Shropshire Council, is just north of Lord Hill's Column.
History
The building was commissioned to replace the Old Shirehall in Market Square.{{cite web|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/nostalgia/2018/11/01/daves-new-book-in-colourful-look-at-shrewsbury-past/|title=New book takes colourful look at Shrewsbury past|date=1 November 2018|publisher=Shropshire Star|accessdate=29 September 2019}} After deciding in the Old Shirehall was inadequate for their needs, county leaders decided to procure a new building: the site they selected had previously been occupied by a country house known as "Nearwell".{{cite web|url=https://www.old-maps.co.uk/#/Map/350580/312215/10/101324|title=Ordnance Survey Map 1954|accessdate=23 October 2020}}
Nearwell was commissioned by a local solicitor, William Wybergh How, in 1868{{cite web|url=https://www.nigelhinton.co.uk/the-portland-nurseries-highfiel-and-the-column/|title=Notes on the history, landmarks and people of the Portland Nurseries area of Shrewsbury|first=Nigel|last=Hinton|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804141403/https://www.nigelhinton.co.uk/the-portland-nurseries-highfiel-and-the-column/|accessdate=23 October 2020|archive-date=2020-08-04}} and became the home of his son, Walsham How, who went on to be the first Bishop of Wakefield:{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/bishopwalshamhow00howf/bishopwalshamhow00howf_djvu.txt|page=15|title=Bishop Walsham How: a memoir|first=Frederick Douglas|last=How|publisher= Isbister and Company|year=1931|isbn=978-1010111740}} it subsequently remained in the How family until the mid-1940s{{cite web|url=http://members.tripod.com/caryl_williams/index-4.html|title=Obituary: Thomas Maynard How|date=19 January 1904|accessdate=23 October 2020}}{{London Gazette|issue=36425|page=1255|date=14 March 1944}} and then became a hostel for boys studying at Shrewsbury Technical College before being demolished in August 1963.{{cite web|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/features/2020/02/29/nearwell-boys-far-from-home/|title=Nearwell boys far from home|date=29 February 2020|publisher=Shropshire Star|accessdate=14 November 2020}}
The foundation stone for the new building was laid by Sir Offley Wakeman, a former chairman of the county council, on 25 July 1964.{{cite web|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/nostalgia/2020/10/23/clock-ticking-for-1960s-shirehall/|title=Clock ticking for 1960s Shirehall|publisher=Shropshire Star|date=23 October 2020|accessdate=14 November 2020}} It was designed by Ralph Crowe, the County Architect, in the Modernist style, built at a cost of £1.8 million and was completed in April 1966.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3Zqbit3opjQC&q=Shirehall%2C+Shrewsbury+Newman%2C+John%3B+Pevsner%2C+Nikolaus%3B+Watson%2C+Gavin&pg=PA77|title= Shropshire|first1= John|last1= Newman|first2=Nikolaus |last2=Pevsner|first3=Gavin|last3= Watson|page=77|publisher=Yale University Press|year=1958|isbn=978-0300096422}} It was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, on 17 March 1967.{{cite web|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2016/04/21/the-queen-at-90-her-majesty-in-shropshire/|title=The Queen at 90: Her Majesty in Shropshire|date=21 April 2016|publisher=Shropshire Star|accessdate=14 November 2020}} The design for the six-storey building facing Abbey Foregate involved continuous bands of glazing with concrete panels above and below: it also included an unusual ovoid-shaped council chamber which jutted out to the south-west of the main building. Pevsner described the building as "the major monument to post-war modernism in the county".
A single storey extension, also designed by Crowe, was added to the Shirehall, to accommodate the assizes and the local quarter session hearings, shortly after it opened.{{cite web|url=https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/iha-buildings-criminal-law/heag140-criminal-courts-iha/ |title=Law Courts and Courtrooms 1: The Buildings of the Criminal Law|publisher=Historic England|date=1 August 2016| access-date=18 March 2023}}{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jUi8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT10|title=The Democratic Courthouse: A Modern History of Design, Due Process and Dignity|first1= Linda|last1= Mulcahy|first2= Emma|last2= Rowden|year=2019|publisher=Taylor and Francis|isbn=978-0429558689}} Following the implementation of the Courts Act 1971, the former assizes courthouse became the venue for hearings of the newly designated Shrewsbury Crown Court.Courts Act 1971 (Commencement) Order 1971 (SI 1971/1151) The magistrates' courts moved to a new courthouse in Preston Street in 1994.{{cite news|url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/archive/08oct92-uk-contract-shrewsbury-shropshire-m-a-boswell-contractors-08-10-1992/ |title= UK: Contract – Shrewsbury, Shropshire; M. A. Boswell (Contractors)|date=8 October 1992|newspaper=Construction News| access-date=18 March 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.shrewsburytowncouncil.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/Agenda201320-20Proposals20for20Provision20of20Court20Services20in20West20Midlands.pdf |title= Proposal on the provision of court and tribunal services in the Midlands region |page=34|date=16 July 2015|publisher=Ministry of Justice| access-date=18 March 2023}}
Originally established as the headquarters of Shropshire County Council, the building became the offices of the new unitary authority, Shropshire Council in April 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2008/uksi_20080492_en_1 |title=Shropshire (Structural Change) Order 2008|publisher=Legislation.gov.uk|accessdate=29 September 2019}} A scheme to refurbish the building at a cost of £24 million was proposed in December 2018.{{cite web|url=https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/local-hubs/shrewsbury/2018/12/14/next-step-for-shirehall/|title=£1 million study on future of Shirehall in Shrewsbury|date=14 December 2018|publisher=Shropshire Star|accessdate=29 September 2019}} However, in September 2020, the council indicated that it would rather sell the building and move to the town centre.{{cite web|url=https://www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk/news/18719449.council-leader-believes-10m-sale-shirehall-can-fund-pride-hill-centre-transformation/|title=Council leader believes £10m sale of Shirehall can fund Pride Hill centre transformation|date=14 September 2020|publisher=Oswestry and Border Counties Advertiser|accessdate=14 November 2020}} Then in October 2020, following an application for a certificate of immunity from listing requested by the county council, English Heritage decided not to list County Hall as the building did not meet the criteria for listing post-1945 buildings.{{cite web|url=http://andybodders.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Historic_England_decision_Shirehall.pdf|title=Case Name: The Shirehall, Shrewsbury|publisher=Historic England|date=13 October 2020|accessdate=23 October 2020}} In May 2021 the Twentieth Century Society placed the site on its Top 10 Buildings at Risk List.{{cite web |title=Top 10 C20 Society Buildings at Risk List 2021 |url=https://c20society.org.uk/news/top-10-c20-society-buildings-at-risk-list-2021 |website=The Twentieth Century Society |access-date=4 May 2021}}
Works of art in the building include a cast iron mural by Rosalind Alexander, located in the entrance hall, depicting Shropshire industries.{{cite web|url=http://andybodders.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Shirehall-article-from-AJ.pdf|title=Shirehall and Law Courts|page=777|publisher=The Architects' Journal|date=29 March 1967|accessdate=14 November 2020}}