Shire Hall (EHER 31613)

A late 18th century shire hall and assembly room, designed and built by John Johnson, County Surveyor 1790-1. It is three storeyed, with a Classical facade of Portland stone. The rusticated ground floor has three arched entrances, while the upper floor has a central pediment supported on Ionic columns.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. May 1949. Grade II listed. A late 18th century shire hall and assembly room, designed and built by John Johnson, County Surveyor 1790-1. It has a classic facade of Portland stone and is set across three storeys. The ground floor is rusticated with three arched entrances, and the upper storey has a central pediment supported by Ionic columns. The second storey has five window range of very large double hung sashes with glazing bars. Whilst the third storey has three central high reliefs in the window spaces, representing Justice, Wisdom and Mercy. Internally the Assembly Room has much altered decorations from the 19th century. <1> See photos <2> August 2022. Heritage assessment. Building recording of the steps, prior to their removal, concluded that it is highly likely they were installed as part of the 1936 renovations. The treads and risers are made from concrete, cast in-situ where the pattern of the wooden sheathing can be seen in the concrete. Engineering bricks have been used to make alterations and in the Western section are set on edge so the three holes in them can be seen. In the middle and at the Eastern end the bricks are laid in rowlock course. At each end of the steps there are block built buttresses which are in part stone and in part cast concrete replacements. The concrete has attracted lichens while the stone appears bright and clean. Both cappings have painted on graffiti. The buttresses also date to this time but the Eastern buttress incorporates an older engraved stone stating ‘The pavement in front of this building is the property of the Essex County Council and no rights of way have been dedicated to the public’. From 1859 a ‘Russian Gun’ from the Battle of Sevastopol was positioned outside presented in 1858 by Major S J Skinner RA. This is shown on most of the maps and in photographs until at least 1924 but was removed by 1936 when the new pavements were laid and is now in Oaklands Park. The iron railings are later additions made between 1955 and 1965 by photographic evidence. The hand rail on the western side is later still most probably from the 1990’s or later. There are three pairs of glass block cast cement lights set in the original doorways which presumably light the cells below. Several blocks have been replaced with wooden blanks and a roughened adhesive anti-slip compound has been painted on the frame. <3> Field survey, 1988 Shire Hall (name confirmed) is as described, and still in use by the county council. <4> Additional reference <5> - <9>