County Hall, Kingston upon Thames

Last updated

County Hall, Kingston upon Thames
Surrey County Hall Clock Tower.png
County Hall
Location Kingston upon Thames
Coordinates 51°24′18″N0°18′18″W / 51.4049°N 0.3051°W / 51.4049; -0.3051
Built1893
Architect Charles Henry Howell
Architectural style(s) Classical style
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated6 October 1983
Reference no.1184834
Greater London UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of County Hall, Kingston upon Thames in Greater London

County Hall is a former municipal building in Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, England. The building, which was the headquarters of Surrey County Council from 1893 to 2020, [1] is a landmark in Kingston [2] and is a Grade II listed building. [3]

Contents

History

The council chamber in County Hall Surrey Council Chamber.jpg
The council chamber in County Hall

The building was commissioned to replace an earlier Sessions House at Newington Causeway in Newington which had been completed in 1791. [4] [5] Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established councils in every county, it became necessary to find a meeting place for Surrey County Council. [6] However, as Newington formed part of the County of London from 1889 and therefore lay outside the area administered by the council, county leaders chose to procure a new purpose-built county headquarters. [5] By 1890, six towns were being considered: Epsom, Guildford, Kingston, Redhill, Surbiton, and Wimbledon. [7] The site selected had previously formed part of the Woodbines Estate in Kingston. [5] [8]

Construction work on the new building began in 1891. [5] It was designed by Charles Henry Howell, County Surveyor and partner in Howell and Brooks, in the classical style, was built by Higgs and Hill. The first meeting in the building was held on 17 October 1893, [9] and it was officially opened with bands playing on 13 November 1893. [5] The building was reported to have cost over £60,000. [10] Access was from Grove Road, which was renamed Penrhyn Road, in honour of the first chairman of the county council, Edward Penrhyn. [11] The design for the original building (the north east section of the current complex), which was faced in Portland stone, involved an asymmetrical main frontage with seven bays facing onto Penrhyn Road; the central section featured an arched doorway which was projected forward and a clock tower with a belfry and a dome above. [3] There were sculptures by Farmer & Brindley on the face of the building. [5] Inside the principal rooms were the council chamber and the clerk to the council's office. [5]

An extension to the west of the original block, designed by E. Vincent Harris, was opened by the Duke of Gloucester in 1930. [5] The Ashcombe Block, which created a quadrangle behind the original block, was completed in 1938. [5] The Ashcombe Block was destroyed by a flying bomb in July 1944 and rebuilt in 1953. [5] Further additions, which created a second quadrangle to the south, were completed in 1982. [5]

Following local government reorganisation in 1965, County Hall was no longer within the administrative county of Surrey, but within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames in Greater London. [12] County leaders again developed ambitions to move the county administration to a location that was actually within the county of Surrey. In July 2003, the county council decided to procure new facilities in Woking in Surrey and to sell County Hall; [13] that project, which would have been procured under a private finance initiative contract, was abandoned because of its high cost in January 2006. [14]

Redevelopment of site

In October 2020, the county council announced proposals to move to Woodhatch Place in Reigate and to sell County Hall in Kingston. [15] The last full council meeting in the building had already been held, on 17 March 2020, with meetings in the latter part of 2020 being held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [16] The council vacated County Hall in December 2020, and declared that Woodhatch Place would be the council's headquarters with effect from 1 January 2021. [17]

The site and building were purchased by a developer, RER London, in March 2021. The company announced that they were planning "A high quality, residential led, mixed used development comprising residential units (including affordable housing) and commercial / community floorspace". [18]

Artworks

Works of art in County Hall included portraits of King George III [19] and Queen Charlotte by Allan Ramsay [20] and of the former Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Lord Onslow, by Godfrey Kneller. [21]

Film location

Film and television productions that have made use of County Hall for location filming have included: [22]

Films
Television

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston upon Thames</span> Town in South West London

Kingston upon Thames is a town in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, England. It is situated on the River Thames and 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Charing Cross. It is notable as the ancient market town in which Saxon kings were crowned and today is the administrative centre of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staines-upon-Thames</span> Town in Surrey, England

Staines-upon-Thames is a market town in northwest Surrey, England, around 17 mi (27 km) west of central London. It is in the Borough of Spelthorne, at the confluence of the River Thames and Colne. Historically part of Middlesex, the town was transferred to Surrey in 1965. Staines is close to Heathrow Airport and is linked to the national motorway network by the M25 and M3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surrey</span> County of England

Surrey is a ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the north east, Kent to the east, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the west. The largest settlement is Woking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guildford</span> Town in Surrey, England

Guildford is a town in west Surrey, England, around 27 mi (43 km) southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around 143,650 inhabitants in mid-2019 est.. The name "Guildford" is thought to derive from a crossing of the River Wey, a tributary of the River Thames that flows through the town centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames</span> Royal borough in London, England

The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames is a borough in southwest London. The main town is Kingston upon Thames and it includes Surbiton, Chessington, Malden Rushett, New Malden and Tolworth. It is the oldest of the four royal boroughs in England. The others are the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea and Greenwich, and Windsor and Maidenhead, the site of Windsor Castle. The local authority is Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newington, London</span> Human settlement in England

Newington is a district of South London, just south of the River Thames, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It was an ancient parish and the site of the early administration of the county of Surrey. It was the location of the County of London Sessions House from 1917, in a building now occupied by the Inner London Crown Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norbiton</span> District in south-west London

Norbiton is an area within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, London. It lies approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Kingston upon Thames town centre, and 11 miles (17.7 km) from Charing Cross. Its main landmarks include Kingston Hospital, Kingsmeadow football stadium, Kingston Cemetery and St Peter's Anglican parish church which serves the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tolworth</span> Human settlement in England

Tolworth is a suburban area in the Surbiton district, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, Greater London. It is 11 miles (17.7 km) southwest of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Long Ditton, New Malden, Kingston, Surbiton, Berrylands, Hinchley Wood, Chessington, Ewell and Worcester Park. Surbiton is the nearest, about a mile to the northwest. Tolworth is divided in two by the A3 Kingston Bypass and is situated slightly north of the Greater London-Surrey border.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A3 road</span> London to Portsmouth road in England

The A3, known as the Portsmouth Road or London Road in sections, is a major road connecting the City of London and Portsmouth passing close to Kingston upon Thames, Guildford, Haslemere and Petersfield. For much of its 67-mile (108 km) length, it is classified as a trunk road and therefore managed by National Highways. Almost all of the road has been built to dual carriageway standards or wider. Apart from bypass sections in London, the road travels in a southwest direction and, after Liss, south-southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reigate</span> Town in Surrey, England

Reigate is a town in Surrey, England, around 19 mi (31 km) south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book in 1086 as Cherchefelle and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The earliest archaeological evidence for human activity is from the Paleolithic and Neolithic, and during the Roman period, tile making took place to the north east of the modern centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arthur Onslow</span> English politician (1691–1768)

Arthur Onslow was an English politician. He set a record for length of service when repeatedly elected to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons, where he was known for his integrity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitton, London</span> Human settlement in England

Whitton is an area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. Historically, it was the north-western part of Twickenham manor, bounded by the River Crane and the Duke of Northumberland's River.

This is a list of people who have served as Lord Lieutenant of Surrey. Since 1737, all Lords Lieutenant have also been Custos Rotulorum of Surrey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surrey County Council</span> English principal local authority

Surrey County Council is the county council administering certain services in the non-metropolitan county of Surrey in England. The council is composed of 81 elected councillors, and in all but one election since 1965 the Conservative Party has held the majority. The leader of the council is Tim Oliver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inner London Crown Court</span> Historic site in London

The Inner London Sessions House Crown Court, more commonly known as the Inner London Crown Court and distinct from the Inner London Magistrates' Court, is a Crown Court building in Newington, London, United Kingdom. It is located in the Sessions House on Newington Causeway at the corner of Harper Road. It is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston upon Thames Guildhall</span> Municipal building in London, England

The Kingston upon Thames Guildhall is a municipal building in Kingston upon Thames in England. It is situated in the High Street, adjacent to the Hogsmill River. The guildhall, which is the headquarters of Kingston upon Thames London Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston University</span> Public university in London, England

Kingston University London is a public research university located within the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, in South West London, England. Its roots go back to the Kingston Technical Institute, founded in 1899. It received university status in 1992, before which the institution was known as Kingston Polytechnic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingston upon Thames Crown Court</span> Judicial building in Kingston upon Thames, England

Kingston upon Thames Crown Court is a Crown Court venue which deals with criminal cases at 6–8 Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walworth Town Hall</span> Municipal building in London, England

Walworth Town Hall is a municipal building in Walworth Road, Southwark, London. It is a Grade II listed building. It was built for the vestry of the parish of Newington, opening as the Newington Vestry Hall in 1865. When Newington became part of the Metropolitan Borough of Southwark in 1900 the building served as Southwark Town Hall. It ceased to be a headquarters of local government in 1965 when the London Borough of Southwark was created.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodhatch Place, Reigate</span> County building in Reigate, Surrey, England

Woodhatch Place is a large office building on Cockshot Hill, Reigate, Surrey, England, which serves as the headquarters of Surrey County Council. The main building was built in 1998–1999 as the head office of Canon (UK) Limited, in the grounds of a Georgian house, previously called Woodhatch Lodge, with the original house being retained and restored as part of the development. The complex was bought by Surrey County Council in 2020 and converted to become the council's main offices and meeting place.

References

  1. ↑ "127 year chapter of history comes to an end as Surrey County Council moves home". Get Surrey. 23 December 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  2. ↑ Lightfoot, Mike (1 June 2023). "Kingston approves County Hall regeneration". UK Property Forums. Retrieved 25 July 2023. The site is a significant landmark in Kingston
    "Redevelopment of County Hall Penrhyn Road". Kingston upon Thames Society. Retrieved 25 July 2023. The integrity of County Hall as a Grade 2 Listed landmark building in Kingston
  3. 1 2 Historic England. "Surrey County Hall (1184834)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  4. ↑ Darlington, Ida (1955). "'Southwark Prisons', in Survey of London: Volume 25, St George's Fields (The Parishes of St. George the Martyr Southwark and St. Mary Newington)". London: British History Online. pp. 9–21. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Robinson, David. "A brief history of County Hall" (PDF). Surrey County Council. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
  6. ↑ "Local Government Act 1888". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  7. ↑ The Times, 27 March 1890
  8. ↑ "Ordnance Survey Map". 1880. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  9. ↑ "In town and village". Surrey Times. Guildford. 21 October 1893. p. 5. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  10. ↑ "New County Hall for Surrey". The Globe. London. 14 November 1893. p. 6.
  11. ↑ Herkomer, Herman. "Edward Hugh Leycester Penrhyn, First Chairman of Surrey County Council (1889-1893)". Exploring Surrey's Past. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "London Government Act 1963". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  13. ↑ Relocation of Surrey County Hall Moves Closer Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ "County council move to Woking is off - bill to taxpayers is £4m". Get Surrey. 26 January 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  15. ↑ "Surrey County Council set to be based in Surrey for first time in 55 years". Get Surrey. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  16. ↑ "Council minutes, 17 March 2020" (PDF). Surrey County Council. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  17. ↑ "County Council minutes, 13 October 2020". Surrey County Council. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  18. ↑ "Former Surrey County Hall HQ". RER London. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  19. ↑ Ramsay, Allan. "George III (1738–1820)". Art UK. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  20. ↑ Ramsay, Allan. "Queen Charlotte (1744–1818)". Art UK. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  21. ↑ Ramsay, Godfrey Kneller. "Sir Richard Onslow, 1st Lord Onslow (1654–1717)". Art UK. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  22. ↑ "Kingston film and TV locations". KingstonOnline. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.