County hall

A county hall or shire hall is a common name given to a building housing a county's administration. The location of the county hall has usually denoted the county town, and as county halls have moved it has also been considered that the county town has moved, for example when Derbyshire County Council moved from Derby to Matlock in the 1950s. As important government buildings, many county halls are known for their distinctive architecture. Some county halls are historic buildings at the heart of the town, whilst others are more modern office building in suburban locations. Many buildings which have lost their administrative function have retained the name county hall for historic reasons, such as County Hall, London.

County Halls usually contain a council chamber, committee rooms and offices. Many have also been home to court rooms, however in recent years many have moved to separate buildings.

List of county and shire halls

County Halls in Great Britain and Ireland, with the county they served, include:

Name Town or city Traditional county Country
County Hall Abingdon Berkshire England
County Hall Aylesbury Buckinghamshire England
County Hall Cardiff Glamorgan Wales
County Hall Cork County Cork Ireland
County Hall Coventry Warwickshire England
County Hall Hertford Hertfordshire England
County Hall Kingston upon Thames Surrey England
County Hall London London England
County Hall Matlock Derbyshire England
County Hall Wakefield West Riding of Yorkshire England
County Hall Swansea West Glamorgan Wales
County Hall Taunton Somerset England
Shire Hall Dorchester Dorset England
Shire Hall Monmouth Monmouthshire Wales
Shire Hall Newport Monmouthshire Wales
Shire Hall Nottingham Nottinghamshire England
Shire Hall Stafford Staffordshire England
Shire Hall Warwick Warwickshire England

See also


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