| Devon County Hall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Exeter, Devon, England |
| Coordinates | 50°42′53″N3°31′03″W / 50.7146°N 3.5175°W |
| Built | 1964 |
| Architect | Donald McMorran |
| Architectural style(s) | Neo-classical style |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Designated | 24 April 1998 |
| Reference no. | 1323701 |
  Location of Devon County Hall in Devon | |
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. [1]
Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, it became necessary to find a meeting place for Devon County Council. [2] The administration of justice had been conducted from Rougemont Castle and county leaders decided that the administration of the county should also be conducted from new offices established within the castle in 1895 [3] [4] and that meetings of the county council should be held in a courtroom there. [5] This arrangement continued until the mid 20th century when county leaders decided that they needed dedicated facilities: a site was selected in the grounds of Bellair House, a mansion rebuilt around 1700 by the merchant John Vowler, [6] and an adjoining early Victorian house, known as Coaver. [7]
The foundation stone for the new building was laid on 16 October 1958. [8] It was designed by Donald McMorran in the neo-classical style and was officially opened on 14 July 1964. [9] [10] The design involved a three-storey main frontage facing a large expanse of parkland with Bellair House forming the left hand wing and a new block forming the right hand wing; the central section of the main frontage featured three segmental archways leading to an inner courtyard. [1] Internally, the principal room was the council chamber, which was located on the north east side of the inner courtyard; a substantial clock tower was erected above it. [1] The Victorian house, Coaver, was also converted into the complex, as a social club for council staff. [9]
An annexe to the east of the main building, to meet the ever increasing accommodation needs of the county council, was completed in 1984. [7] A sculpture of a female figure by Barbara Pearson entitled "Loving Care" was erected outside Bellair House to commemorate the centenary of Devon County Council in 1988. [11]
Queen Elizabeth II, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, attended a reception in the building, as part of a tour of the county to celebrate her Golden Jubilee, on 1 May 2002. [12]
Works of art inside the building include watercolour paintings by Hugh Gurney depicting Odam Bridge [13] and the River Mole near Meethe in Devon. [14]
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The Royal Courts of Justice, commonly called the Law Courts, is a court building in Westminster which houses the High Court and Court of Appeal of England and Wales. The High Court also sits on circuit and in other major cities. Designed by George Edmund Street, who died before it was completed, it is a large grey stone edifice in the Victorian Gothic Revival style built in the 1870s and opened by Queen Victoria in 1882. It is one of the largest courts in Europe. It is a Grade I listed building.
Tiverton is a town and civil parish in Devon, England, and the commercial and administrative centre of the Mid Devon district. The population in 2019 was 20,587.
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Heavitree is a historic village and former civil parish situated formerly outside the walls of the City of Exeter in Devon, England, and is today an eastern district of that city. It was formerly the first significant village outside the city on the road to London. It was the birthplace of the librarian Thomas Bodley, and the theologian Richard Hooker, and from the 16th century to 1818 was a site for executions within what is now the car park of the St Luke's Campus of the University of Exeter.
Powderham Castle is a fortified manor house situated within the parish and former manor of Powderham, within the former hundred of Exminster, Devon, about 6 miles (9.7 km) south of the city of Exeter and 1⁄4 mile (0.4 km) north-east of the village of Kenton, where the main public entrance gates are located. It is a Grade I listed building. The park and gardens are Grade II* listed in the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
Rougemont Castle, also known as Exeter Castle, is the historic castle of the city of Exeter, Devon, England. It was built into the northern corner of the Roman city walls starting in or shortly after the year 1068, following Exeter's rebellion against William the Conqueror. In 1136 it was besieged for three months by King Stephen. An outer bailey, of which little now remains, was added later in the 12th century.
The Avocet Line is the railway line in Devon, England connecting Exeter with Exmouth. It was originally built by the London and South Western Railway, and was historically known as the Exmouth branch railway. The line follows the Exe Estuary for about half of its route, from just outside Topsham to Exmouth, giving views of the estuary. The line is named after the pied avocet, which lives in the estuary.
Topsham is a town in Devon, England, located on the east side of the River Exe, immediately north of its confluence with the River Clyst and the former's estuary, between Exeter and Exmouth. Topsham is a historic port and was designated a town by a 1300 royal charter granted by Edward I; it was formally amalgamated into the City of Exeter in 1966. The population of the town, recorded at the 2021 census, is 4,146.
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South Molton is a town and civil parish in Devon, England. It is part of the North Devon local government district. The town is on the River Mole.
Exeter City Council is the local authority for Exeter, a non-metropolitan district with city status in Devon, England.
Countess Wear is a district within the city of Exeter, Devon, England. It lies about two miles south-east of the city centre, on the north bank of the estuary of the River Exe. Historically an estate known as Weare, part of the manor of Topsham, was in this area. From the late 13th century, the construction of weirs in the River Exe by the Countess, and later, the Earls of Devon damaged the prosperity of Exeter to the benefit of Topsham which was downstream of the obstructions, and was owned by the Earls.
Devon County Council is the county council administering the English county of Devon. Based in the city of Exeter, the council covers the non-metropolitan county area of Devon. Members of the council (councillors) are elected every four years. Almost all councillors are members of the major national political parties.
Exeter Guildhall on the High Street of Exeter, Devon, England has been the centre of civic government for the city for at least 600 years. Much of the fabric of the building is medieval, though the elaborate frontage was added in the 1590s and the interior was extensively restored in the 19th century. It is a Grade I listed building.
There are three local archives covering the historic county of Devon, England. The Devon Heritage Centre in Exeter is the main archive. It has a branch office, the North Devon Record Office in Barnstaple, which is the repository for records broadly relating to North Devon. Since 2014 the joint service has been run by the South West Heritage Trust under the name of the Devon Archives and Local Studies Service.
Exeter is a cathedral city and the county town of Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately 36 mi (58 km) northeast of Plymouth and 65 mi (105 km) southwest of Bristol.
Gulliford Farm is a Grade-II listed farmhouse in East Devon, between Exmouth and Topsham. It is situated in the village of Exton, in the parish of Woodbury. The main residential building dates to the 16th century with later Georgian and Victorian additions.
Great Torrington Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street, Great Torrington, Devon, England. The town hall, which is the meeting place of Great Torrington Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.
