County Hall, Chichester

Last updated

County Hall, Chichester
County Hall, Chichester (geograph 4025876).jpg
County Hall
West Sussex UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
County Hall
Location within West Sussex
General information
Architectural style Georgian Revival style
AddressWest Street, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1RQ
Country United Kingdom
Coordinates 50°50′16″N0°46′58″W / 50.8379°N 0.7828°W / 50.8379; -0.7828
Completed1933
Design and construction
Architect(s)Cecil G Stillman

County Hall is a municipal facility at West Street in Chichester, West Sussex. It is the headquarters of West Sussex County Council.

History

Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, West Sussex County Council initially met at the Council House, Chichester. [1] From 1890 until 1916 meetings were held alternately at the Horsham Town Hall and the Council House in Chichester, with the council's main offices also being divided between Chichester and Horsham. [2] [3] [4]

The county council decided to find a location where it could consolidate its offices and meeting place. In 1916 it bought a large seventeenth century house with extensive grounds called Wren House (since renamed Edes House) in West Street in Chichester. [5] [6] Wren House was purchased with the intention of later building a new headquarters for the county council in the grounds, once the First World War was over and finances allowed. [7] [8]

The new county hall in the grounds of Wren House was designed by Cecil G Stillman, the County Architect, in the Georgian Revival style, and was built between 1933 and 1936. [9] [10] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage with twenty-one bays facing onto a central courtyard; the central section of eleven bays, which projected slightly forward, featured a doorway on the ground floor flanked by Ionic order columns supporting an entablature with a pediment above; there was a tall round-headed window between the first and second floors with an open round-headed pediment above; the end sections of the main frontage contained arched carriageways to permit vehicle access to the rear of the site and there were side wings beyond that. [11] Internally, the principal room was the council chamber. [12] [13] [14]

The main building was altered in the 1960s to accommodate an emergency control centre in case of a nuclear attack. [15] The county council also acquired a Victorian mansion known as "The Grange" at that time: the old house, which was located to the north east of the main building, was demolished and replaced by a modern office block also known as "The Grange". [16] Another modern facility known as "Northleigh House" was built just south of The Grange in 1974. [17]

The Princess Royal attended a reception for the Council of Occupational Therapists in County Hall on 19 April 2010 [18] and a major programme of refurbishment works to convert the building into an open-plan working environment was completed in 2011. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arun District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Arun is a local government district in West Sussex, England. Its council is based in Littlehampton. The district's other towns are Arundel and Bognor Regis. The district is named after the River Arun, which runs through the centre of the district. Parts of the district fall within the South Downs National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Sussex County Council</span> British administrative authority

West Sussex County Council is the upper tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of West Sussex in England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ancient Priors</span> Historic site in West Sussex , England

The Ancient Priors is a medieval timber-framed hall house on the High Street in Crawley, a town and borough in West Sussex, England. It was built in approximately 1450, partly replacing an older structure—although part of this survives behind the present street frontage. It has been expanded, altered and renovated many times since, and fell into such disrepair by the 1930s that demolition was considered. It has since been refurbished and is now a restaurant, although it has been put to various uses during its existence. Secret rooms, whose purpose has never been confirmed for certain, were discovered in the 19th century. English Heritage has listed the building at Grade II* for its architectural and historical importance, and it has been described as Crawley's "most prestigious medieval building" and "the finest timber-framed house between London and Brighton".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarvis Hall, Steyning</span> Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

Jarvis Hall is a former Nonconformist chapel in the village of Steyning, in the Horsham district of the English county of West Sussex. Since its construction in 1835, the Classical-style building has been used by four different Nonconformist Christian denominations: the Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion, Wesleyan Methodists, the Salvation Army and Plymouth Brethren. The Brethren occupied it last and for the longest time. After about 150 years of religious use, it was sold for residential conversion. English Heritage has listed the former chapel at Grade II for its architectural and historical importance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madina Mosque, Horsham</span>

Madina Mosque is a mosque in the centre of Horsham, an ancient market town in the English county of West Sussex. It has served the Muslim community of the town and the surrounding district of Horsham since 2008. The plain stuccoed building in which it is housed was originally a Baptist chapel—one of several in the town, which has a long history of Nonconformist Christian worship. The former Jireh Independent Chapel was in commercial use until Muslims acquired it after a lengthy search for a permanent space. The organization, 'Muslims in Britain' classify the Madina Mosque as, "Deobandi".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graylingwell Hospital</span> Former psychiatric hospital in Chichester, United Kingdom

Graylingwell Hospital was a psychiatric hospital in Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devon County Hall</span> County building in Exeter, Devon, England

Devon County Hall is a municipal building in Topsham Road, Exeter, Devon, England. The building, which is the headquarters of Devon County Council, is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Hall, Chelmsford</span> County building in Chelmsford, Essex, England

Essex County Hall is a municipal building in Market Road, Chelmsford, Essex: it is the headquarters of Essex County Council. Blocks C and D are Grade II listed buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelham House</span> County building in Lewes, East Sussex, England

Pelham House is a large red-bricked building at St Andrews Lane in Lewes, East Sussex. The building which was the headquarters of East Sussex County Council from 1938 to 1968, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Buildings, Stafford</span> County building in Staffordshire, England

County Buildings is a municipal facility at Martin Street in Stafford, Staffordshire. The building, which is the meeting place for both Staffordshire County Council and Stafford Borough Council, is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Hall, Maidstone</span> County building in Maidstone, Kent, England

County Hall, formerly the Old Sessions House, is a municipal building in Sandling Road in Maidstone, Kent, England. The county hall, which is the headquarters of Kent County Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Offices, Lincoln</span> County building in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England

The County Offices is a municipal building in Newland, Lincoln in the county of Lincolnshire in England. It is the headquarters of Lincolnshire County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Hall, Northampton</span> County building in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England

The County Hall is a municipal facility on George Row in Northampton, Northamptonshire, England, which was the headquarters of Northamptonshire County Council until it was dissolved in 2021. It is a Grade II* listed building. The building is adjacent to the former Sessions House which is now used as a Tourist Information Centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edes House</span> County building in Chichester, West Sussex, England

Edes House is mansion in Chichester, West Sussex. The building, which was the headquarters of West Sussex County Council from 1916 to 1936, is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horsham Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Horsham, West Sussex, England

Horsham Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Square in Horsham, West Sussex. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Council House, Chichester</span> Municipal building in Chichester, West Sussex, England

The Council House is a municipal building in North Street, Chichester, West Sussex, England. It is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worthing Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Worthing, West Sussex, England

Worthing Town Hall, or New Town Hall, is a municipal building in Chapel Road, Worthing, West Sussex, England. The town hall, which is a meeting place of Worthing Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building. Located at Chapel Road in the centre of Worthing, it was opened in 1933 and built in a neo-Georgian style to designs by Charles Cowles-Voysey. Containing offices and a Council chamber it replaced Worthing's Old Town Hall as the administrative centre, a building that had been the home of Worthing's local authority from 1835 and was demolished in 1966. To the rear and west lies the Assembly Hall, built in 1935, also to designs by Cowles-Voysey. To the south lies the Worthing Museum and Art Gallery, originally built as a Carnegie Library.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Southwick</span> Municipal building in Southwick, West Sussex, England

The Old Town Hall, is a former municipal building in Albion Street in Southwick, West Sussex, England. The building, which is now used as offices, was the meeting place of Southwick Urban District Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horsham Friends Meeting House</span> Church in West Sussex , United Kingdom

Horsham Friends Meeting House is a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) place of worship in the town of Horsham, part of the district of the same name in West Sussex, England. It was built in 1786 to replace a meeting house nearly 100 years older on the same site, built for a Quaker community which had been active in the town for several years. "A fine Georgian building with original furnishings", it has Grade II listed status.

References

  1. "The County Council". Chichester Observer. 10 April 1889. p. 8. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  2. "The West Sussex Times". The West Sussex Times. Horsham. 16 November 1889. p. 2. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  3. Kelly's Directory of Sussex. 1911. p. 13. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  4. Baggs, A P; Currie, C R J; Elrington, C R; Keeling, S M; Rowland, A M (1986). "Horsham: General history of the town', in A History of the County of Sussex: Volume 6 Part 2, Bramber Rape (North-Western Part) Including Horsham". London: British History Online. pp. 131–156. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  5. "The history of Edes House". Chichester Observer. 2 October 2018. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  6. "Lifestyle feature: Step back in time at Edes House". Bognor Regis Observer. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  7. "A County Council Bargain! New offices scheme: The purchase of a site a Chichester agreed to". Worthing Gazette. 2 August 1916. p. 2. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  8. "Ordnance Survey Map". 1914. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  9. "Chichester Conservation Area Character Appraisal" (PDF). Chichester District Council. 2016. p. 22. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  10. "The New County Hall: Council's first meeting". Hampshire Telegraph and Post. Portsmouth. 31 July 1936. p. 11. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  11. "Print of County Hall, Chichester". West Sussex County Council Archives. 1 July 1983. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  12. "Print of Council Chamber, County Hall, Chichester". West Sussex County Council Archives. 1950. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  13. "Ceiling repairs to county's council chamber lead to planning meeting venue switch". West Sussex County Times. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  14. "County councillors set to cast their votes electronically". West Sussex County Times. 18 May 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  15. "Chichester Borough Council Emergency Centre". The Time Chamber. 30 December 2012. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  16. "The Grange, Tower Street". The Novium Museum. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  17. "County Hall extension in progress". West Sussex County Council Archives. 1974. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  18. "Royal Visits to West Sussex". West Sussex Lieutenancy. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  19. "County Hall". BPG. Retrieved 13 September 2019.