County Hall, Kingston upon Thames: Difference between revisions
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|county=Surrey | |county=Surrey | ||
|town=Kingston upon Thames | |town=Kingston upon Thames | ||
|picture= | |picture=Surrey County Hall.jpg | ||
|picture caption= | |picture caption=Surrey County Hall | ||
|os grid ref=TQ18026868 | |os grid ref=TQ18026868 | ||
|latitude=51.4049 | |latitude=51.4049 | ||
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|type=county hall | |type=county hall | ||
|style= | |style= | ||
|client= | |client=Surrey CC | ||
|built=1891-1893 | |built=1891-1893 | ||
|architect=Charles Henry Howell | |architect=Charles Henry Howell | ||
|ownership= | |ownership=RER London | ||
|website= | |website= | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''County Hall''' is a grand, prominent municipal building on Penrhyn Road in [[Kingston upon Thames]] in [[Surrey]]. Built to serve as the headquarters for the council named after the county, it | '''County Hall''' is a grand, prominent municipal building on Penrhyn Road in [[Kingston upon Thames]] in [[Surrey]]. Built to serve as the headquarters for the council named after the county, it continued to fulfil that role until the end of 2020, albeit that Kingston was outside the council's own jurisdiction for the last 55 years of that time. | ||
The building opened 13 November 1893, and replaced a previous shire hall at the location of today's | The building opened 13 November 1893, and replaced a previous shire hall at the location of today's Inner London Sessions House in [[Newington, Surrey|Newington]] in the north-eastern corner of the county. | ||
County Hall is a landmark in Kingston and contains a clock tower entrance, sculptures, plaques of Surrey MPs and Lord Sheriffs, and the council chamber. The street on which it stands, Penrhyn Road, is named in honour of the first chairman of the county council. | County Hall is a landmark in Kingston and contains a clock tower entrance, sculptures, plaques of Surrey MPs and Lord Sheriffs, and the council chamber. The street on which it stands, Penrhyn Road, is named in honour of the first chairman of the county council. | ||
==History== | ==History== | ||
Surrey had been administered from [[Newington, Surrey|Newington]] since the 1790s, and the county council was initially based in the sessions house there. In 1889 the old county magistracies were swept away and new councils erected to continue their administrative work, which new system excluded Newington from the new council's remit, and so as early as 1890 the new Surrey County Council was looking for a new home, considering six towns: [[Epsom]], [[Guildford]], [[Kingston upon Thames|Kingston]], [[Redhill, Surrey|Redhill]], [[Surbiton]] and [[Wimbledon]].<ref>''The Times'', March 27, 1890</ref> A decision to build the new County Hall at Kingston was made in 1891, and with a swiftness latterly unknown to municipal authorities the building opened in 1893.<ref name=robinson>David Robinson, ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20120614122934/http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/169508/A-Brief-History-of-County-Hall.pdf History of County Hall]'', Surrey County Council</ref> | |||
Surrey had been administered from [[Newington, Surrey|Newington]] since the 1790s, and the county council was initially based in the sessions house there. In 1889 the old county magistracies were swept away and new councils erected to continue their administrative work, which new system excluded Newington from the new council | |||
The county hall in Kingston was designed by Charles Henry Howell, County Surveyor and partner in Howell and Brooks. It was built by the firm Higgs and Hill.<ref name=robinson/> It was built between 1891 and 1893. It was opened on 13 November 1893, with bands entertaining invited guests. The building was extended in 1930 (opened by the Duke of Gloucester) and again in 1938, the Ashcombe Block, creating a quadrangle behind the entrance. The Ashcombe block was destroyed by a flying bomb in July 1944, and rebuilt in 1953. The building was further extended in 1963 and 1982, completing a second quadrangle. | The county hall in Kingston was designed by Charles Henry Howell, County Surveyor and partner in Howell and Brooks. It was built by the firm Higgs and Hill.<ref name=robinson/> It was built between 1891 and 1893. It was opened on 13 November 1893, with bands entertaining invited guests. The building was extended in 1930 (opened by the Duke of Gloucester) and again in 1938, the Ashcombe Block, creating a quadrangle behind the entrance. The Ashcombe block was destroyed by a flying bomb in July 1944, and rebuilt in 1953. The building was further extended in 1963 and 1982, completing a second quadrangle. | ||
[[File:Surrey County Hall, Kingston upon Thames-15627419968.jpg | [[File:Surrey County Hall, Kingston upon Thames-15627419968.jpg|thumb|250px|County Hall illuminated at night]] | ||
In July 2003 it was decided<ref>[ | In July 2003 it was decided<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927230719/http://www.laing.com/news/458_465.htm |date=2007-09-27 Relocation of Surrey County Hall Moves Closer]</ref> to move county government to a new building in [[Woking]] and Kingston University planned to acquire County Hall. However, the project was scrapped<ref>Surrey County Council – [http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sccwspages.nsf/LookupWebPagesByTITLE_RTF/County+Hall?opendocument County Hall]</ref> in January 2006. In 2018 the plan to move to Woking was revived, but the next year the plan changed to move the bureaucracy to Woodhatch Place in [[Reigate]]. County Hall, site and building, were purchased by a developer, RER London, in March 2021. The company announced that they were planning "A high quality, residential led, mixed used development comprising residential units (including affordable housing) and commercial / community floorspace".<ref>[http://www.rer.uk.com/former-surrey-county-hall-hq Former Surrey County Hall HQ]: RER London</ref> | ||
==Film location== | ==Film location== | ||
[[File:Inside Surrey County Hall, Kingston upon Thames-6237639449.jpg | [[File:Inside Surrey County Hall, Kingston upon Thames-6237639449.jpg|thumb|250px|A room within County Hall]] | ||
Film and television productions that have made use of County Hall for location filming have included:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kingstononline.co.uk/kingston-tv-film-location/ |title=Kingston film and TV locations |website=KingstonOnline |accessdate=14 January 2018 }}</ref> | Film and television productions that have made use of County Hall for location filming have included:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kingstononline.co.uk/kingston-tv-film-location/ |title=Kingston film and TV locations |website=KingstonOnline |accessdate=14 January 2018 }}</ref> | ||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
*[https://www.surreycc.gov.uk/culture-and-leisure/history-centre/marvels/grand-opening-of-county-hall The grand opening of County Hall, Kingston, 13 November 1893]: 120th Anniversary | |||
Latest revision as of 19:18, 16 May 2021
| County Hall | |
|
Surrey | |
|---|---|
 Surrey County Hall | |
| Type: | county hall |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | TQ18026868 |
| Location: | 51°24’18"N, 0°18’17"W |
| Town: | Kingston upon Thames |
| History | |
| Built 1891-1893 | |
| For: | Surrey CC by Charles Henry Howell |
| county hall | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | RER London |
County Hall is a grand, prominent municipal building on Penrhyn Road in Kingston upon Thames in Surrey. Built to serve as the headquarters for the council named after the county, it continued to fulfil that role until the end of 2020, albeit that Kingston was outside the council's own jurisdiction for the last 55 years of that time.
The building opened 13 November 1893, and replaced a previous shire hall at the location of today's Inner London Sessions House in Newington in the north-eastern corner of the county.
County Hall is a landmark in Kingston and contains a clock tower entrance, sculptures, plaques of Surrey MPs and Lord Sheriffs, and the council chamber. The street on which it stands, Penrhyn Road, is named in honour of the first chairman of the county council.
History
Surrey had been administered from Newington since the 1790s, and the county council was initially based in the sessions house there. In 1889 the old county magistracies were swept away and new councils erected to continue their administrative work, which new system excluded Newington from the new council's remit, and so as early as 1890 the new Surrey County Council was looking for a new home, considering six towns: Epsom, Guildford, Kingston, Redhill, Surbiton and Wimbledon.[1] A decision to build the new County Hall at Kingston was made in 1891, and with a swiftness latterly unknown to municipal authorities the building opened in 1893.[2]
The county hall in Kingston was designed by Charles Henry Howell, County Surveyor and partner in Howell and Brooks. It was built by the firm Higgs and Hill.[2] It was built between 1891 and 1893. It was opened on 13 November 1893, with bands entertaining invited guests. The building was extended in 1930 (opened by the Duke of Gloucester) and again in 1938, the Ashcombe Block, creating a quadrangle behind the entrance. The Ashcombe block was destroyed by a flying bomb in July 1944, and rebuilt in 1953. The building was further extended in 1963 and 1982, completing a second quadrangle.
In July 2003 it was decided[3] to move county government to a new building in Woking and Kingston University planned to acquire County Hall. However, the project was scrapped[4] in January 2006. In 2018 the plan to move to Woking was revived, but the next year the plan changed to move the bureaucracy to Woodhatch Place in Reigate. County Hall, site and building, were purchased by a developer, RER London, in March 2021. The company announced that they were planning "A high quality, residential led, mixed used development comprising residential units (including affordable housing) and commercial / community floorspace".[5]
Film location
Film and television productions that have made use of County Hall for location filming have included:[6]
Films
- Vera Drake (2004)
- 102 Dalmatians (2000)
- Keeping Mum (2005)
Television
- The Wrong Mans
- Midsomer Murders
- Silk
- Call the Midwife
- The Bill
- Ashes to Ashes
- Jonathan Creek
- Criminal Justice
- Top Boy
- Downton Abbey
- Silent Witness
- Saxondale
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about County Hall, Kingston upon Thames) |
References
- ↑ The Times, March 27, 1890
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 David Robinson, History of County Hall, Surrey County Council
- ↑ |date=2007-09-27 Relocation of Surrey County Hall Moves Closer
- ↑ Surrey County Council – County Hall
- ↑ Former Surrey County Hall HQ: RER London
- ↑ "Kingston film and TV locations". http://www.kingstononline.co.uk/kingston-tv-film-location/. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
- The grand opening of County Hall, Kingston, 13 November 1893: 120th Anniversary