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Summary

Description

Hugh Marr, 1834-6 former County Buildings and 1868 court house. Rectangular-plan, 2-storey and basement classical court house, comprising 1834-6, 7-bay symmetrical former county buildings to north linked by lower single entrance bay to 1868, 5-bay symmetrical court house to south. The 2-storey, flat-roofed extension to the east is not considered of special interest in listing terms at time of review. Sandstone ashlar, channelled at ground and rusticated at basement to 1868 building. Band course, cornice; balustrade and central parapet to later building. Most windows with panelled aprons.

1834-6 building with distinctive central advanced 3-bay pedimented section with round-arched openings to ground and Doric columns at first floor. Central entrance. Remaining ground floor windows with square heads and channelled voussoirs. Band course at first floor. Pilasters at end bays.

1868 building with slightly advanced central 3-bays. Recessed round-arched windows at ground floor and pilasters flanking bays at 1st floor. Windows at 1st floor with bracketted cornices; central one with pediment.

Predominantly lying-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows to 1834 building, 2-over 2-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows to 1868 building.

The interior, seen in 2014, is arranged around two courtrooms at first floor with surrounding associated offices, and was significantly reburbished in 2005-7. The main courtroom is square in plan and is entered by 4 identical timber panelled doors with consoled cornices. There is a coffered ceiling with decorative cornicing and large windows to Hope Street. The furniture and fittings have been replaced as part of the 2005-7 work. There is decorative plasterwork to other sections of the building, including some rooms and hall and a plain stone stair with metal balusters and timber handrail.

Low, coped, droved, coursed sandstone wall to Hope Street with 3 pairs of square-plan capped gatepiers, those in front of the 1836 building surmounted with metal lanterns. The wall is surmounted by iron railings.

Statement of Special Interest

Lanark Sheriff Court, comprising an 1836 County Buildings and a 1868 court house, is a significant example of civic architecture in Lanark town centre. The building is little altered to the exterior, with good classical stonework details such as channelling to the ground floor, pilasters and architraves and cornices to the windows.

The former Lanark County Buildings was constructed in 1834-6 and designed by the local architect Hugh Marr. It contained accommodation for the County Council, the Town Council, the Sheriff Court and had a governor's house to the rear, overlooking a prison. A separate sheriff court was built in 1868 and this is linked to the 1834-6 building. The county buildings were taken over by the Scottish Court Service circa 2005, and a major refurbishment of the building was carried out.This including the replacement of court furniture and the council chambers was converted to a court room.The prison and the governor's house have also been demolished.

Lanark was a wealthy town in the 1830s and Hope Street, where the court is situated, was a new road leading north. The imposing classical form of the new County Buildings reflects the assurance of a prosperous town. The later sheriff court also adopted the classical style, to be in keeping with the earlier County Buildings. This style is slightly more unusual for court houses of this period, as the Scots Baronial style was becoming more fashionable.

Hugh Marr (circa 1803-1877) was a local Lanark architect. The County Buildings was probably his largest commission and he also carried out engineering works to Lanark Loch.

The development of the court house as a building type in Scotland follows the history of the Scottish legal system and wider government reforms. The majority of purpose-built court houses were constructed in the 19th century as by this time there was an increase in the separation of civic, administrative and penal functions into separate civic and institutional buildings, and the resultant surge of public building was promoted by new institutional bodies. The introduction of the Sheriff Court Houses (Scotland) Act of 1860 gave a major impetus to the increase and improvement of court accommodation and this provision of central funding was followed by the most active period of sheriff court house construction in the history of the Scottish legal system, and many new court houses were built or reworked after this date.

The 2-storey, flat-roofed extension to the east is not considered of special interest in listing terms at the time of review (2014-15).

Statutory address and listed building record revised as part of the Scottish Courts Listing Review 2014-15. Previously listed as 'Hope Street, Former Council Chambers Clerk's Office and Sheriff Court'.

References

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