Former County Buildings | |
---|---|
Alternative names | County Buildings Wrexham Museum building |
General information | |
Status | open |
Type | Museum building |
Architectural style | Tudor Gothic |
Location | Regent Street, Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough |
Country | Wales |
Coordinates | 53°02′49″N2°59′54″W / 53.0470°N 2.9982°W |
Current tenants | Wrexham County Borough Museum, Wrexham Archives, Courtyard Cafe, Football Museum for Wales (proposed) |
Completed | 1857–1858 |
Renovated | 2010–2011 |
Design and construction | |
Architect(s) | Thomas Penson |
Designations | Grade II listed building |
Other information | |
Parking | Three accessible spaces at rear |
Public transit access | near Wrexham bus station |
Listed Building – Grade II | |
Official name | Former County Buildings |
Designated | 15 June 1990 Amended 31 January 1994 |
Reference no. | 1800 [1] |
County Buildings (also known as the Former County Buildings) is a Grade II listed building in Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It houses the Wrexham County Borough Museum and Wrexham Archives. It is proposed that a Football Museum for Wales be housed in the building. The building is located between Saint Mark's Road and Regent Street in the city centre and Offa, bounded by Wrexham Cathedral to the west.
The building is located on the corner of Saint Mark's Road and Regent Street, in the city centre of Wrexham and in the community of Offa. The Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows is located to its west also on Regent Street. [1] [2]
Former County Buildings is two-storeys, with a five-bay entrance front which is flanked either side by advanced gabled ranges. The building's architecture is of a Tudor gothic style. The building is composed of roughly coursed and squared stone with freestone dressings and steep slate roofs. The building has a chamfered buttressed tower. [1]
Internally, the building's layout was modified in 1980, with rooms enlarged, a circulation space created and the courtyard enclosed. [1]
The building was built as a militia barracks between 1857 and 1858 to the architectural designs of Thomas Penson. [1] [2] [3] The Royal Denbighshire Militia relocated their armoury from Chester Castle, including their guns and ammunition, to the upstairs room of the building, now known as Court Room 1. [4] [5] Metal shutters on the armoury windows were initially planned to be installed, however following a reduction in revolutionary sentiment in the area, they were never installed. [6] The building also provided as the home for the militia's officers, whereas the soldiers resided in houses around the then town and trained for one month annually. The militia vacated the building in 1877, moving to the Hightown Barracks. [4] [5]
In around 1879, the building was converted to a divisional police station of the Denbighshire Constabulary and a magistrates' court. The building was remodelled internally and externally to have two court rooms upstairs and a number of cells on the ground-floor for individuals on remand or accommodated overnight when showing signs of alcohol intoxication. [4] [6] [7] During this conversion, the building was named "County Buildings", [8] while the police and magistrates both relocated from the Old Town Hall. [9] There was living accommodation provided in the rest of the building for the constabulary, including accommodation for the Inspector, Superintendent, Bridewell Sergeant, Constable and four unmarried Constables. Although most eventually lived outside the building, with the Bridewell Sergeant the last the leave in 1960. [6] In the 1901 census, three prisoners were held in the building on census day. The exercise yard for prisoners is present today and surrounded by high walls to prevent escape. [4] [7]
In the 1890s the building was extended and the extension later used as council offices. [1] [4]
During World War II, the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) were based at the back of the building, and an air raid siren was installed during wartime on top of the western side of the building and still works. [6] The siren is played each remembrance day. [9] The ARP's garage and cleaning depot was also built in the yard behind the building. [9]
In 1976–77, North Wales Police, which the Denbighshire Constabulary was absorbed into, relocated to Bodhyfryd police station, 0.6 km (0.37 mi) to the north-east, leaving the County Buildings vacant. Both the magistrates and police left by 1979. Between 1977 and 1996, parts of the building were part of a local art college, [1] [4] [9] and it also served as a Citizens' Advice Bureau. [8] The building also survived the threat of demolition. [9]
In 1995, Wrexham Maelor Borough Council bought the building for it to be a museum. [9] In 1996, following the formation of Wrexham County Borough, absorbing Wrexham Maelor borough from Clwyd, the building opened as the Wrexham County Borough Museum and Archives. [4]
The building was partly refurbished in the 1990s, with a new wing of the building built to replace a World War II-built structure. The wing was called "Satellite" and were to be used to manage and house the Museum's on-site collections and a public study room (the "Collections Centre") for online services to reserved collections not displayed to the public. The new wing costed £398,500, paid with a Heritage Lottery grant of £299,375 and £99,125 from the council. The wing was completed on 15 May 1998. [10]
The building was refurbished in 2010–11, adding a front extension and now contains the Courtyard Cafe. [5] [11]
It is proposed that the building host the Football Museum for Wales on the vacant upper parts of the building, and is projected to open in 2024. [12] Wrexham was chosen as the location for a national football museum, due to Wrexham's football heritage which includes the founding of the FAW in Wrexham in 1876, and having the oldest Welsh club, as well as oldest football ground in Wales. [13] [14] [15]
Wrexham is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the county of Denbighshire, and later the county of Clwyd in 1974, it has been the principal settlement of Wrexham County Borough since 1996.
Flintshire is a county in the north-east of Wales. It has a maritime border with Merseyside along the Dee Estuary to the north, and land borders with Cheshire to the east, Wrexham County Borough to the south, and Denbighshire to the west. Connah's Quay is the largest town, while Flintshire County Council is based in Mold.
Until 1974, Flintshire, also known as the County of Flint, was an administrative county in the north-east of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales.
Until 1974, Denbighshire, or the County of Denbigh, was an administrative county in the north of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. It was a maritime county, that was bounded to the north by the Irish Sea, to the east by Flintshire, Cheshire and Shropshire, to the south by Montgomeryshire and Merionethshire, and to the west by Caernarfonshire.
The Maelor is an area of north-east Wales along the border with England. It is now entirely part of Wrexham County Borough. The name Maelor is an old Welsh word: it can be translated as "land of the prince", from mael ("prince") and llawr.
Wrexham County Borough is a county borough, with city status, in the north-east of Wales. It borders the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire and Shropshire to the east and south-east respectively, Powys to the south-west, Denbighshire to the west and Flintshire to the north-west. The city of Wrexham is the administrative centre. The county borough is part of the preserved county of Clwyd.
Wrexham Maelor was a local government district with borough status, being one of six districts in the county of Clwyd, north-east Wales, from 1974 to 1996.
Overton or Overton-on-Dee is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It is situated close to the Welsh-English border on the edge of an escarpment that winds its way around the course of the River Dee, from which Overton-on-Dee derives its name.
Acton is a suburb and community in Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It spans the north-eastern part of Wrexham. The area is largely residential and at its centre, lies Acton Park, the location of the former Acton Hall.
Denbighshire Constabulary was the Home Office police force for the county of Denbighshire, Wales from 1840 until 1967.
Rhosddu is a suburb and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales, covering the north-western parts of the city of Wrexham and comprises the wards of Grosvenor, Garden Village and Stansty.
Plas Coch is an area of the community of Rhosddu, in the city of Wrexham, Wales. A major retail and educational area of Wrexham, it lies to the north-west of Wrexham city centre. Formerly known as Lower Stansty, the term has fallen out of use in preference for Plas Coch in recent years, likely due to the popular retail area which shares its name.
The city of Wrexham in north-east Wales has a history dating back to ancient times. The former market town was the site of heavy industry in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is now an active commercial centre. Wrexham was granted city status in 2022.
Wrexham Archives and Local Studies holds the archives for the city of Wrexham. The archives are held at County Buildings, on Regent Street, Wrexham, and run by Wrexham County Borough Council as part of its Wrexham Archives and Local Studies Service. The centre was initially named after local Wrexham historian Alfred Neobard Palmer. The building is shared with Wrexham County Borough Museum and the archives opened in 2002.
Bangor Bridge is a Grade I listed bridge crossing the River Dee in Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It is situated on the community boundary between Bangor-is-y-Coed and Sesswick. Located to the west of Bangor-on-Dee, it connects the village's high street and the A525 road bypass. The narrow bridge is a one-way traffic bridge, west to east, and is downstream (north) of the Bangor by-pass bridge.
Wrexham County Borough Museum is a local history museum in Wrexham, Wrexham County Borough, Wales. It is located within County Buildings, alongside the Wrexham Archives and a proposed Football Museum for Wales. The building is located on Regent Street, in the city centre. The museum is managed by the Wrexham Heritage & Archives Service, which in turn, is operated by Wrexham County Borough Council as part of its Housing & Economy Department.
A national football museum dedicated to Welsh association football in Wrexham has been proposed by various politicians in both the Welsh Government and local councils, with Wrexham County Borough Council being the leading contender for a museum due to Wrexham's football heritage. The museum is currently in the planning stages and under current proposals, the museum is set to be within the pre-existing County Buildings on Regent Street, in Wrexham's city centre, alongside the Wrexham County Borough Museum and Archives.
The School of Creative Arts is the art school of Wrexham University on Regent Street, in Wrexham, North Wales.
The Wrexham and East Denbighshire War Memorial Hospital is a former hospital in Wrexham, North Wales.