The building is located on the corner of Saint Mark's Road and Regent Street, in the city centre of Wrexham and in the community of Offa. The Cathedral Church of Our Lady of Sorrows is located to its west also on Regent Street.[1][2]
Former County Buildings is two-storeys, with a five-bay entrance front which is flanked either side by advanced gabled ranges. The building's architecture is of a Tudor gothic style. The building is composed of roughly coursed and squared stone with freestone dressings and steep slate roofs. The building has a chamfered buttressed tower.[1]
Stonework of the building.
Internally, the building's layout was modified in 1980, with rooms enlarged, a circulation space created and the courtyard enclosed.[1]
History
The building was built as a militiabarracks between 1857 and 1858 to the architectural designs of Thomas Penson.[1][2][3] The Royal Denbighshire Militia relocated their armoury from Chester Castle, including their guns and ammunition, to the upstairs room of the building, now known as Court Room 1.[4][5] Metal shutters on the armoury windows were initially planned to be installed, however following a reduction in revolutionary sentiment in the area, they were never installed.[6] The building also provided as the home for the militia's officers, whereas the soldiers resided in houses around the then town and trained for one month annually. The militia vacated the building in 1877, moving to the Hightown Barracks.[4][5]
In around 1879, the building was converted to a divisional police station of the Denbighshire Constabulary and a magistrates' court. The building was remodelled internally and externally to have two court rooms upstairs and a number of cells on the ground-floor for individuals on remand or accommodated overnight when showing signs of alcohol intoxication.[4][6][7] During this conversion, the building was named "County Buildings",[8] while the police and magistrates both relocated from the Old Town Hall.[9] There was living accommodation provided in the rest of the building for the constabulary, including accommodation for the Inspector, Superintendent, Bridewell Sergeant, Constable and four unmarried Constables. Although most eventually lived outside the building, with the Bridewell Sergeant the last the leave in 1960.[6] In the 1901 census, three prisoners were held in the building on census day. The exercise yard for prisoners is present today and surrounded by high walls to prevent escape.[4][7]
In the 1890s the building was extended and the extension later used as council offices.[1][4]
During World War II, the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) were based at the back of the building, and an air raid siren was installed during wartime on top of the western side of the building and still works.[6] The siren is played each remembrance day.[9] The ARP's garage and cleaning depot was also built in the yard behind the building.[9]
In 1976–77, North Wales Police, which the Denbighshire Constabulary was absorbed into, relocated to Bodhyfryd police station, 0.6 km (0.37 mi) to the north-east, leaving the County Buildings vacant. Both the magistrates and police left by 1979. Between 1977 and 1996, parts of the building were part of a local art college,[1][4][9] and it also served as a Citizens' Advice Bureau.[8] The building also survived the threat of demolition.[9]
In 1995, Wrexham Maelor Borough Council bought the building for it to be a museum.[9] In 1996, following the formation of Wrexham County Borough, absorbing Wrexham Maelor borough from Clwyd, the building opened as the Wrexham County Borough Museum and Archives.[4]
The building was partly refurbished in the 1990s, with a new wing of the building built to replace a World War II-built structure. The wing was called "Satellite" and were to be used to manage and house the museum's on-site collections and a public study room (the "Collections Centre") for online services to reserved collections not displayed to the public. The new wing costed £398,500, paid with a Heritage Lottery grant of £299,375 and £99,125 from the council. The wing was completed on 15 May 1998.[10]
The building was refurbished in 2010–11, adding a front extension and now contains the Courtyard Cafe.[5][11]
It is proposed that the building host the Football Museum for Wales on the vacant upper parts of the building, and is projected to open in 2024.[12] Wrexham was chosen as the location for a national football museum, due to Wrexham's football heritage which includes the founding of the FAW in Wrexham in 1876, and having the oldest Welsh club, as well as oldest football ground in Wales.[13][14][15]
