County Hall, London Facts for Kids

For other uses, see County Hall, London (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids County Hall
County Hall from Westminster Bridge
Location	Lambeth
Built	1911–1939; 86 years ago (1939)
Architect	Ralph Knott
Architectural style(s)	Edwardian Baroque style

Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated	19 October 1951
Reference no.	1358192

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County Hall is a well-known building in Lambeth, London. It sits right on the South Bank of the River Thames, next to Westminster Bridge. For many years, it was the main office for London's local government. This included the London County Council (LCC) and later the Greater London Council (GLC).

Today, County Hall is a popular place for visitors. It has fun attractions and hotels. The building faces the City of Westminster and is close to the famous Palace of Westminster. You can easily get there using the London Underground at Waterloo or Westminster stations. It is also a special listed building because of its history and design.

History of County Hall
Fun Attractions at County Hall
Hotels at County Hall
Images for kids
See also

History of County Hall

Building London's Government Headquarters

County Hall was built because London needed a bigger, newer main office. The old one, at Spring Gardens, was too small. Leaders chose a new spot by the River Thames. This area used to have flour mills, wharves, and factories.

The main part of the building has six floors. It was designed by Ralph Knott. The outside is made of Portland stone. It looks grand, in a style called Edwardian Baroque. Building started in 1911. Holland, Hannen & Cubitts did the main construction. King George V officially opened the building in 1922.

More parts were added later. The North and South blocks were built between 1936 and 1939. These were built by Higgs and Hill. The last part, called the Island Block, was finished much later, in 1974.

County Hall's Role in London

For 64 years, County Hall was the heart of London's local government. The London County Council (LCC) and then the Greater London Council (GLC) worked here. These councils made important decisions for the city.

In the 1980s, the GLC, led by Ken Livingstone, had different ideas from the national government. The government was led by Margaret Thatcher. Sometimes, the front of County Hall was used to display messages. These messages showed the GLC's opinions.

In 1986, the government decided to close down the GLC. This meant County Hall was no longer the seat of London's government. People wondered what would happen to the big building. There were ideas to move the London School of Economics there, but that did not happen.

The building was later sold to a Japanese company called Shirayama Shokusan.

The Island Block

The Island Block was a unique part of County Hall. It was built on a small piece of land near St Thomas' Hospital. This block looked very different from the rest of County Hall. It had no ground-level entrances. You could only get in through a bridge or a tunnel.

It also had orange sunshades that were supposed to move automatically. However, they often broke. Many Londoners didn't like how it looked. The Island Block was taken down in 2006. A new hotel, the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, was built in its place.

A special blue plaque on County Hall remembers its past. It honors the LCC, GLC, and the Inner London Education Authority.

Fun Attractions at County Hall

Today, County Hall is a lively place filled with fun things to do. It's a hub for Merlin Entertainments. Many of their popular attractions are located here or nearby.

You can visit the Sea Life London Aquarium. You can also explore The London Dungeon. For fans of Shrek, there's Shrek's Adventure!. The famous London Eye is also very close to the building.

Since 2017, the old council chamber has a special show. It hosts a play called Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution.