Sessions House, Preston

The Sessions House is a courthouse in Harris Street, Preston, Lancashire, England. The courthouse, which continues to be used for judicial purposes as well as being used as administrative offices for Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, is a Grade II* listed building.[1]

Sessions House
LocationPreston
Coordinates53.7596°N 2.6987°W / 53.7596; -2.6987
OS grid referenceSD 540 294
Built1904
ArchitectHenry Littler
Architectural style(s)Edwardian Baroque
Governing bodyHer Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated27 September 1979
Reference no.1279796
Location within Preston City centre

History
Detail of the balcony and window above the main entrance on Harris Street

The building was commissioned to replace the old Sessions House in Stanley Street.[2] After deciding that the old Sessions House was inadequate for their needs, the justices decided to procure a new building: the site selected was some open land opposite the Harris Museum.[3]

The foundation stone for the new building was laid on 2 February 1900.[4] It was designed by the Manchester architect, Henry Littler, in the Edwardian Baroque style, constructed of sandstone by David Tullis and Sons and opened on 18 June 1904.[4] The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of thirteen bays facing Harris Street. The central section featured a round-headed doorway with a balcony above; there was a round-headed window with elaborate detailing on the first floor and oculus on the second floor flanked by huge Ionic order columns which spanned the second and third floors. There was a four-stage tower above, which at 54.7 metres (179.5 ft) high, made the building one of the tallest buildings in Preston.[5]

Cases heard within the sessions house have included the trials and subsequent convictions of Jon Venables and Robert Thompson for the murder of James Bulger in November 1993,[6] of Harold Shipman for the murder of 15 patients under his care in January 2000[7] and of Dale Cregan for the murders of Nicola Hughes and Fiona Bone in February 2013[8] as well as of Stuart Hall for indecent assault in May 2014.[9] Cases also included the trials and subsequent acquittals of William Roache over rape allegations in January 2014[10] and of Nigel Evans over sexual assault allegations in April 2014.[11]

Internally, there are two courtrooms on the first floor that are used daily by Preston Crown Court together with two smaller courtrooms on the ground floor used by the County Court and the Family Court.[12] The Courts Service Area Director's office for Lancashire and Cumbria is also situated in the building.[13]

See also

Notes
  1. Historic England, "Sessions House (1279796)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 27 April 2011
  2. Historic England. "he old Sessions House (1219103)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  3. "Ordnance Survey Map". 1892. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  4. "Preston Guardian Digest 1891-1905". Preston History. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  5. "Sessions House". Skyscraper News. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  6. "Open doors at Sessions House". Lancashire Telegraph. 30 August 2001.
  7. "Inside Preston crown court". The Guardian. 31 January 2000.
  8. "The most notorious cases to be heard at Preston Crown Court". Lancashire Live. 29 November 2019.
  9. "Stuart Hall found guilty of indecent assault but cleared of rape". The Guardian. 16 May 2014.
  10. "Coronation Street star William Roache appears in court over rape allegations". BBC. 14 May 2013.
  11. "Nigel Evans found not guilty in Preston rape and sex assault trial". The Independent. 10 April 2014.
  12. "Preston Crown Court (Sessions House)". Court Finder. Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  13. "Regional information – North West Region". Information Aboutpublisher=Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
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