Hamilton Sheriff Court is a judicial building in Almada Street, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The building, which continues to serve as the local courthouse, is a Category A listed building.[1]
| Hamilton Sheriff Court | |
|---|---|
 Hamilton Sheriff Court | |
| Location | Almada Street, Hamilton |
| Coordinates | 55°46′46″N 4°02′55″W / 55.7794°N 4.0487°W |
| Built | 1834 |
| Architect | John Lamb Murray |
| Architectural style(s) | Neoclassical style |
Listed Building – Category A | |
| Official name | Hamilton Sheriff Court including boundary walls and railings, Almada Street, Beckford Street, Hamilton |
| Designated | 5 February 1971 |
| Reference no. | LB34470 |
  Shown in South Lanarkshire | |
History
editThe first judicial building in Hamilton, which contained a council chamber, a courthouse and a jail, was built adjoining the old tolbooth at the junction of Castle Street and Palace Grounds Road and was completed in 1798.[2][a] By the 1830s, the tolbooth complex was very dilapidated and it was decided that "soon all be removed, except the steeple, town clock, and bell."[2]
The foundation stone for a new courthouse was laid on 10 June 1834. It was designed in the neoclassical style, built in ashlar stone and was completed later that year. The original design involved a symmetrical main frontage of seven bays facing onto Almada Street. The central section of the three bays featured a full height tetrastyle portico formed by Ionic order columns supporting a frieze, an entablature and a pediment. There were two-bay wings on either side fenestrated by sash windows.[1] Internally, the principal rooms were the main courtroom, in the centre of the building on the ground floor, and a large hall on the first floor, which was established for county meetings.[3][b] A jail building was also established to the north of the courthouse.[6]
The courthouse was re-modelled to a design by John Lamb Murray in 1886. The works included single-bay extensions, which were slightly projected forward, at either end on the Almada Street frontage. The new bays were fenestrated by sash windows, with architraves and cornices; these windows were flanked by full-height Doric order pilasters supporting friezes, entablatures and cornices. The jail building was demolished, creating space for a long extension along Beckford Street, consisting of a nine-bay central section, which featured another full-height tetrastyle portico, short recessed connecting sections, and three bay wings, all designed by Murray.[7]
The complex continued to serve as the local sheriff court throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century.[8] However, a new building known as Birnie House in Caird Street, was acquired in 2006 to deal with civil and family cases, allowing the Almada Street / Beckford Street building to focus on criminal cases.[9] It remains the third busiest courthouse in Scotland after Edinburgh and Glasgow.[10]
The court scenes for series 6 of the BBC sitcom Still Game were filmed in the courthouse in 2007.[11]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ The old town house was demolished in 1954, when a scroll was found recording its date of construction.[2]
- ^ Until 1890, Lanarkshire was divided into three administrative wards: lower (Glasgow), middle (Hamilton) and upper (Lanark) and this building was the meeting place for the middle ward.[4] After the formation of Lanarkshire County Council in 1890, the county council also sometimes met in the Almada Street / Beckford Street building.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Historic Environment Scotland. "Hamilton Sheriff Court including boundary walls and railings, Almada Street, Beckford Street, Hamilton (LB34470)". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ a b c "The Hamilton Tolbooth 1642-1954". Historic Hamilton. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
- ^ New Statistical Account of Scotland. Blackwood. 1845.
- ^ "Old County of Lanarkshire". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ Robson, Peter; Rodger, Johnny (2017). The Spaces of Justice: The Architecture of the Scottish Court. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-1683930891.
- ^ "Beckford Street Prison, Hamilton". Prison History. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "County Hall and Sheriff Court Houses and County Police Office". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Hamilton Sheriff Court". Scottish Courts and Tribunals. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Hamilton Sheriff Court Civil Building". Scottish Courts and Tribunals. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Hamilton Sheriff Court". Doors Open Days. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ "Where Is Still Game Filmed? All About Filming Locations". Otakukart. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
External links
editMedia related to Hamilton Sheriff Court at Wikimedia Commons