Durham Crown Court
Durham Crown Court is a Crown Court venue which deals with criminal cases at Old Elvet, Durham, England. Located immediately to the north of Durham Prison, it is a Grade II* listed building.[1]
| Durham Crown Court | |
|---|---|
 Durham Crown Court | |
| Location | Old Elvet, Durham |
| Coordinates | 54.7740°N 1.5686°W |
| Built | 1811 |
| Architect | George Moneypenny and Ignatius Bonomi |
| Architectural style(s) | Neoclassical style |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | Crown Court |
| Designated | 6 May 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1322878 |
  Shown in County Durham | |
History
The original venue for the assize courts in Durham was the old Shire Hall (also known as the County House) beside Palace Green; this "inconvenient building" had been established by Bishop John Cosin in the 1660s.[2] In the early 19th century, it was decided to commission a more substantial courthouse; the site chosen, on the west side of Old Elvet, had been granted by Bishop William de St-Calais to the Prior and Convent of Durham in the late 11th century.[3]
The building was designed by George Moneypenny and Ignatius Bonomi in the neoclassical style, built in ashlar stone and was officially opened on 14 August 1811.[4][5][6] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of seven bays facing north onto Court Lane. The central section of three bays, which was projected forward, featured a tetrastyle portico formed by Tuscan order columns supporting a pediment. There central section contained three double-doors on the ground floor and three sash windows, which were protected by wrought iron guardrails, on the first floor. The outer bays were also fenestrated by sash windows and the end bays were also slightly projected forward. Internally, the building was laid out to accommodate four courtrooms.[7]
A large prison was opened, just behind the courthouse, in 1819.[8][9] The interior was extensively refurbished to a design by the borough architect, William Crozier, in 1870.[10]
Notable cases included the trial and conviction of Mary Ann Cotton, in March 1873, for murdering her two sons, her stepson and her husband.[11][12][13]
Following the implementation of the Courts Act 1971, the former assizes courthouse was re-designated Durham Crown Court.[14]
References
- Historic England. "Crown Court (1322878)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- Page, William (1928). "'The city of Durham: Jurisdictions', in A History of the County of Durham". London: British History Online. pp. 53–62. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- "Durham City: Elvet, Shincliffe and Houghhall". Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- Richardson, Michael (2010). Durham Cathedral City from Old Photographs. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1848685062.
- Johnson, Margot (1992). Durham: Historic and University City and surrounding area. Turnstone Ventures. p. 4. ISBN 978-0946105137.
- Mackenzie, Eneas; Ross, Marvin (1834). "An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive View of the County Palatine of Durham". Newcastle: Mackenzie and Dent. p. 420.
- "Durham". Ministry of Justice. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- "Durham prison". Capital Punishment. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- "The History of Durham Prison". Durham University. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
- "1870 – New Assize Courts, Durham". Archiseek. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- "Exactly 150 years ago, Mary Ann Cotton faced her final hearing". The Northern Echo. 5 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- "Serial killer Mary Ann Cotton 'stamped with eternal infamy'". Darlington and Stockton Times. 11 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- "The story of Mary Ann Cotton: A frail dressmaker's poisonous past". Watford Observer. 20 September 2007. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- Courts Act 1971 (Commencement) Order 1971 (SI 1971/1151)