County Hall, Trowbridge

County Hall is a municipal building in Bythesea Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, completed in 1940.

County Hall, Trowbridge
County Hall
County Hall
Location within Wiltshire
General information
AddressBythesea Road, Trowbridge
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates51.3169°N 2.2104°W / 51.3169; -2.2104
Completed1940
Design and construction
ArchitectPhilip Hepworth

History

In the 19th century the judicial functions of the county were discharged at Devizes Assize Court in the Summer[1] and at Salisbury Assize Court in the Lent.[2] Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, there was a need to find a meeting place for Wiltshire County Council.[3] The County Council acquired Arlington House in The Parade in Trowbridge for this purpose in 1896;[4] subsequent extensions included a block of offices on land behind the building, completed in 1900, and a block of offices adjacent to the building completed in 1913.[5]

Larger facilities were needed by the 1930s and the new County Hall, which was designed by Philip Hepworth as the home of Wiltshire County Council, was built in Bythesea Road on the former site of Trowbridge Town football club and completed in 1940.[6] During the Second World War, following concerns that it would be a potential landmark for German aircraft, it was covered in camouflage nets.[5]

Following the merger of the former non-metropolitan districts of Kennet, North Wiltshire, Salisbury and West Wiltshire in April 2009, a new unitary authority known as Wiltshire Council continued to use County Hall as its headquarters.[7] The building was extended in the 1970s and extensively refurbished, at a cost of £22 million, in 2012.[8]

References
  1. "Saving the Assizes – a new home for the Wiltshire Museum". Wiltshire Museum. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  2. "Wiltshire". Vision of Britain. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  3. "Local Government Act 1888". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  4. Historic England. "Arlington House, Trowbridge (1364231)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  5. Chettle, H F; Powell, W R; Spalding, P A; Tillott, P M (1953). "'Parishes: Trowbridge', in A History of the County of Wiltshire". London: British History Online. pp. 125–171. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  6. "County Hall". PastScape. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
  7. "Leader of Wiltshire council: 'The cuts have been manageable'". The Guardian. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  8. "New library and cafe for Trowbridge". Wiltshire Times. 10 August 2012. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
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