Although Warwick was founded much earlier, it was not incorporated as a borough until 1545 and it was only in 1576 that justice became a borough matter rather than that of the earls. Little is known about the first hall built on the site following this declaration except that £1,161 was levied for repairs and alterations in May 1674 to be raised by taxes. Work was undertaken by Mr William Hurlbert who had previously erected the town's Market Hall and refurbished Warwick Castle. Due to the fact that it was a sturdy brick-built structure the hall survived the Great Fire of Warwick on 5 September 1694 which destroyed all the surrounding town centre buildings.
The current building
The original sections of the existing building, which were designed by Sanderson Miller, were constructed by local brothers William and David Hiorn between 1753 and 1758. It was originally used as a facility for dispensing justice but, following the implementation of the Local Government Act 1888, which established county councils in every county, it also became the meeting place of Warwickshire County Council. The first major extension of the complex beyond the traditional hall and court rooms took place in 1932. Massively increasing its size they spread eastward towards the former barracks, onto the site where the Militia Hall once stood. The building was brought up to its current size by construction of the council chambers and further offices in 1958 and a final expansion in 1966. The latter two developments are classic examples of Brutalist architecture. Included in these alterations were the relocation of the Warwickshire County Emergency Centre, effectively a bunker allowing emergency council business to continue during wartime or terrorist attacks. There are currently two man-made ponds located in the complex, one in the 1930s courtyard and another outside the 1966 section, with metallic sculptures of a heron and fishes added in 2000. The county courts moved to a purpose built complex in Leamington Spa in 2010. The television seriesFather Brown was filmed in and around the Hall in 2014.
