Hamilton Sheriff Court

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
LocationAlmada Street, Hamilton
Coordinates55.7794°N 4.0487°W / 55.7794; -4.0487
Built1834
ArchitectJohn Lamb Murray
Architectural style(s)Neoclassical style
Listed Building – Category A
Official nameHamilton Sheriff Court including boundary walls and railings, Almada Street, Beckford Street, Hamilton
Designated5 February 1971
Reference no.LB34470
Hamilton Sheriff Court is located in South Lanarkshire
Hamilton Sheriff Court
Shown in South Lanarkshire

History

The 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][lower-alpha 1] 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][lower-alpha 2] 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

Notes
  1. The old town house was demolished in 1954, when a scroll was found recording its date of construction.[2]
  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
  1. Historic Environment Scotland. "Hamilton Sheriff Court including boundary walls and railings, Almada Street, Beckford Street, Hamilton (LB34470)". Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  2. "The Hamilton Tolbooth 1642-1954". Historic Hamilton. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
  3. New Statistical Account of Scotland. Blackwood. 1845.
  4. "Old County of Lanarkshire". Gazetteer for Scotland. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  5. Robson, Peter; Rodger, Johnny (2017). The Spaces of Justice: The Architecture of the Scottish Court. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-1683930891.
  6. "Beckford Street Prison, Hamilton". Prison History. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  7. "County Hall and Sheriff Court Houses and County Police Office". Dictionary of Scottish Architects. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  8. "Hamilton Sheriff Court". Scottish Courts and Tribunals. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  9. "Hamilton Sheriff Court Civil Building". Scottish Courts and Tribunals. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  10. "Hamilton Sheriff Court". Doors Open Days. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  11. "Where Is Still Game Filmed? All About Filming Locations". Otakukart. 3 October 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
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