Forfar Sheriff Court facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Forfar Sheriff Court |
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Forfar Sheriff Court
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| Location | Market Street, Forfar |
| Built | 1871 |
| Architect | James Maitland Wardrop |
| Architectural style(s) | Scottish baronial style |
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Listed Building – Category B
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| Official name: Forfar Sheriff Court House including steps, boundary walls and piers, Market Street and Brechin Road, Forfar | |
| Designated | 11 June 1971 |
| Reference no. | LB31609 |
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The Forfar Sheriff Court is an important building in Market Street, Forfar, Angus, Scotland. It's a place where legal decisions are made by a judge called a Sheriff. This building is still used as a courthouse today. It's also a special "Category B listed building", which means it's an old and important building that is protected.
Contents
History of the Forfar Court
The very first court building in Forfar was an old medieval "tolbooth." This was like an old town hall and jail. It was built around the 1500s. Later, a new building called the Forfar Town and County Hall replaced it in 1788. A separate courthouse was added behind it in 1824.
Building a New Courthouse
By the mid-1800s, the old courthouse was not big enough. A new law, the Sheriff Court Houses (Scotland) Act 1860, set new rules for courthouses. Because of this, local officials decided to build a brand new court. They chose a spot next to Forfar Prison on Market Street.
The first stone of the new building was laid on August 5, 1869. A famous architect named James Maitland Wardrop designed it. He used a style called Scottish baronial style. This style looks a bit like old Scottish castles. The building was made from smooth, cut stone. It officially opened on February 2, 1871.
Design and Features
The court building has a balanced front with seven main sections facing Market Street. The middle part has a fancy entrance with an arch and columns. Above this entrance, there's a special wall with decorations. The building has windows with three parts and windows with two parts. You can also see the Royal coat of arms, which is the King's official symbol.
The ends of the roof look like steps. They are decorated with stone gargoyles and pointed towers called pinnacles. Small signs above the ground floor windows show letters like "A" for Arbroath and "D" for Dundee. These letters represent the towns that the court served. A separate part of the building was built for the local police. Inside, the main room was a large courtroom on the first floor.
A Royal Visit and Polish Heroes
A special sign is placed on the front of the courthouse. It remembers a very important event from March 7, 1941. On that day, soldiers from the Polish I Corps marched past the building. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth watched them, along with General Władysław Sikorski.
The courthouse is still used today for legal cases. It holds hearings for the Sheriff's court and also for the justice of the peace court.
See also
- List of listed buildings in Forfar, Angus
