Shire Hall, Monmouth

Shire Hall
Shire Hall, Monmouth
Map
General information
Architectural styleBaroque
LocationAgincourt Square
Town or cityMonmouth
CountryWales
Coordinates51°48′43″N 2°42′55″W / 51.811973°N 2.715404°W / 51.811973; -2.715404
Completed1724 (1724)
Cost£1,700
Design and construction
Architect(s)Philip Fisher, Bristol
DesignationsGrade I listed

The Shire Hall, Monmouth, Wales, is a prominent building on Agincourt Square in the town centre. It was built in 1724, and was formerly the centre for the Assize Courts and Quarter Sessions for Monmouthshire. The building was also used as a market place. In 1839–40, the court was the location of the trial of the Chartist leader John Frost and others for high treason for their part in the Newport Rising.

The building is attributed to Philip Fisher (1702-1776). Fisher is not a well-documented architect, and Cadw notes that the Shire Hall is his only recorded building. The hall was extended by Thomas Hopper and Edward Haycock Sr. in the middle of the 19th century. Cadw describes the building as a “exceptionally fine example of provincial Baroque”. It is a Grade I listed building.

The Shire Hall is owned by Monmouthshire County Council. It is currently used as a Tourist Information Centre and as the offices for Monmouth Town Council, and parts are open to the public. Following the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, the council announced that the Shire Hall would be the new location for the Monmouth Museum. At the time, the museum was located in the Market Hall on Priory Street. The five-year project, supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, will see a new museum open at the hall by 2027.