Campbeltown Sheriff Court and Justice Of The Peace Court including boundary wall, Castlehill, Campbeltown
Designated
28 March 1996
Reference no.
LB43057
Shown within Argyll and Bute
Campbeltown Sheriff Court is a judicial building on Castlehill in Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute in Scotland. The building, which continues to be used as a courthouse, is a Category C listed building.[1]
History
During the first half of the 19th century, court hearings took place at Campbeltown Town Hall in Main Street. However, in the mid-19th century, court officials decided that a dedicated courthouse was needed. The burgh council converted a mid-18th century building at 5 Bolgam Street for judicial use but was unable to reach agreement with court officials over the annual rent.[2][3] Court officials decided instead to commission a new building: the site they selected was appropriately placed, close to the old prison on Castlehill.[4][5][6]
The new building was designed by David Cousin in the Gothic Revival style, built by a local contractor, Robert Weir, in rubble masonry and was completed in 1871. The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of three bays facing onto Castlehill. The central bay, which was slightly projected forward, was formed by a three-stage tower. There was an arched doorway flanked by colonettes supporting a moulded surround in the first stage, a pair of narrow windows in the second stage, and a belfry with louvred openings in the third stage, all surmounted by a mansard roof. The outer bays were fenestrated by tripartite mullioned windows on the ground floor and by bipartite mullioned and tramsomed windows with pediments and finials on the first floor. Internally, the principal rooms were the courtroom on the first floor, which featured a vaulted ceiling, and two prison cells.[7]
A single storey wing to the west formed part of the original design and a single storey wing to the east was added in 1903.[1]
An extensive programme of refurbishment works, involving replacement of the boilers, was completed in 2022,[11] enabling the building to continue to serve as the venue for sheriff court hearings in the area.[12]
