HISTORY OF THE COURT BUILDING

A Brief History Of Ormskirk Magistrates' Court Building

There is evidence to suggest that for some time before 1850 Ormskirk magistrates sat in a court room within the old Town Hall above a market hall on the corner of Church Street and Burscough Street. This suffered storm damage in 1697 and by 1753 the roof was in very bad condition. It was demolished in 1780. It is also known that during these times of disrepair, the magistrates adjourned to the Wheatsheaf. This was a public house/hotel situated in Burscough Street which was an old coaching inn possibly dating from Elizabethan times. It was in use as a public house until about 1960, when it was demolished to allow for redevelopment of the site. It used to stand where Greenhalgh's the Bakers and Greenwoods Gents Outfitters now stand and it is of interest to note that Greenwoods address is 1 WHEATSHEAF Walk.

The New Sessions House, Magistrates' Court and Police Building, 1850

The court house, Number 7, Derby Street, (formerly Lydiate Lane until 1890,) was opened in 1850 and initially served as a Sessions House, magistrates' court and police building. It cost £2,200 to construct. Two sets of design plans for the original building exist. One was drawn up circa 1850 whilst the other remains undated. The former is a:

"Sketch of a design for a Police Station proposed to be erected at Ormskirk, to accommodate a married Superintendent, married Sergeant, married Constables and six single Constables, together with a Sessions Room for the magistrates, which it is also expected, will be used by the Judge of the County Court. The Cells and Sessions Room will be warmed and ventilated in [sic] manner already approved of by Colonel Jebb, the Inspector General of Prisons."

Both designs were for a two storey building. The facade was to be 80 feet in length and many of the intended features can still be seen today. It has a sandstone ashlar surface with rock faced sandstone at the side. There are six bays within the symmetrical facade. The second and fifth bays break forward with shallow pediments, plinth, string course, moulded cornice and blocking course. The doorways contain doorcases of heavy banded columns and pilasters. One entrance is for magistrates and the other was for the Superintendent.

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