Detail of the balcony and window above the main entrance on Harris Street
The building was commissioned to replace the old Sessions House in Stanley Street which had been built in 1829.[2] After deciding that the old Sessions House was inadequate for their needs, the justices decided to procure a new building: the site selected was some open land opposite the Harris Museum.[3]
The foundation stone for the new building was laid by Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby, in a ceremony presided over by Sir J. T. Hibbert, on 2 February 1900.[4][5] It was designed by the Manchester architect, Henry Littler, in the Edwardian Baroque style, constructed by David Tullis and Sons and opened on 18 June 1904.[5] The cost of the building was estimated at the start of its construction to be £90,000,[4] the equivalent of more than £9m in 2023.[6] The masonry is Longridge stone throughout.[4]
The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of thirteen bays facing Harris Street. The central section featured a round-headed doorway with a balcony above; there was a round-headed window with elaborate detailing on the first floor and oculus on the second floor flanked by huge Ionic order columns which spanned the second and third floors. There was a four-stage tower above, which at 54.7 metres (179.5ft) high, made the building one of the tallest buildings in Preston.[7]
Cases heard within the sessions house have included the trials and subsequent convictions of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson for the murder of James Bulger in November 1993[8][9] and of Harold Shipman for the murder of 15 patients under his care in January 2000.[10][11]
Internally, there are two courtrooms on the first floor that are used daily by Preston Crown Court together with two smaller courtrooms on the ground floor used by the County Court and the Family Court.[12] The Courts Service Area Director's office for Lancashire and Cumbria is also situated in the building.[13]
The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The street outside follows the route of the ancient wall around the City of London, which was part of the fortification's bailey, hence the metonymic name.
The Museum of Lancashire is an historic collection in Preston in Lancashire, England. The museum, which is based in the old Sessions House, is a Grade II listed building.
The County Sessions House is a former courthouse in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It stands at the bottom of Islington, to the east of the Walker Art Gallery, which now occupies the building. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II* listed building.
The Winchester Law Courts is a judicial facility just off the High Street in Winchester, Hampshire, England. As well as accommodating the Crown Court, which deals with criminal cases, the complex also accommodates the County Court and the Winchester District Registry of the High Court.
The Sessions House at Usk, Wales, is a Victorian courthouse by Thomas Henry Wyatt of 1877. It is a Grade II* listed building as of 4 January 1974.
The Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, in Derby Square, Liverpool, are operated by His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service. The building is used by the Crown Court, the Magistrates' Court, Liverpool District Probate Registry and the Liverpool Youth Court.
Nottingham Crown Court, or more formally the High Court of Justice and Crown Court, Nottingham is a Crown Court and meeting place of the High Court of Justice on Canal Street in Nottingham, England. The building also accommodates the County Court and the Family Court.
Leeds Combined Court Centre is a Crown Court venue, which deals with criminal cases, and a County Court venue, which deals with civil cases, in Oxford Row, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is adjacent to Leeds Magistrates Courts.
The Crown Court at Southwark, usually referred to as Southwark Crown Court, is an English Crown Court which deals with criminal cases at 1 English Grounds on the south bank of the River Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge in London. It operates within the South Eastern Region of His Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service.
Minshull Street Crown Court is a complex of court buildings on Minshull Street in Manchester, England. The court was designated a Grade II* listed building on 2 October 1974. It is one of two Crown Courts in Manchester, the other being Manchester Crown Court.
Preston Crown Court, or more properly the Crown Court at Preston, is a criminal court on the Ring Way in Preston, Lancashire, England. The court is based on two sites in the city; Preston Combined Court Centre on Ringway and Sessions House on Lancaster Road. As a first tier court centre, the court deals with all types of cases that are heard in the Crown Court as well as being a trial centre for civil High Court cases; it is also a venue for the County Court where smaller civil cases and family cases are dealt with.
Northampton Crown Court is a Crown Court venue which deals with criminal cases at Lady's Lane in Northampton, England.
Cambridge Crown Court is a Crown Court venue which deals with criminal cases at East Road, Cambridge, England. It was completed in 2004.
Gloucester Crown Court is a Crown Court venue which deals with criminal cases at Bearland, Gloucester, England. The court, which is located at the back of Gloucester Shire Hall, is a grade II listed building.
The Sessions House is a municipal building in Ewell Road, Surbiton, London. It is a Grade II listed building.
The Teesside Combined Court Centre is a Crown Court venue, which deals with criminal cases, as well as a County Court venue, which deals with civil cases, in Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, England.
Chemsford Crown Court is a Crown Court venue, which deals with criminal cases, in New Street, Chelmsford, England.
The Coventry Combined Court Centre is a Crown Court venue, which deals with criminal cases, as well as a County Court venue, which deals with civil cases, in Much Park Street, Coventry, England.
Brighton Law Courts is a Crown Court venue, which deals with serious criminal cases, and a Magistrates' court venue in Edward Street, Brighton, England.
Shrewsbury Justice Centre is a Crown Court venue which deals with criminal cases, in Preston Street, Shrewsbury, England.
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