Shire Hall, Durham


The Old Shire Hall is a former municipal building in Elvet, Durham. It is a Grade II listed building.

History

Following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, it became necessary to find a meeting place for Durham County Council. The building, which was designed by H. Barnes and F. E. Coates in the Baroque style, was completed in 1898. After the County Council moved to County Hall at Aykley Heads in 1963, the Shire Hall served as the administrative headquarters of Durham University until September 2012 when the University moved to the Mountjoy site, in the Palatine Centre on Stockton Road. The Shire Hall then stood vacant until it was converted for hotel use as the Hotel Indigo in 2018.