Shire Hall, Newport facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shire Hall |
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Shire Hall, Newport
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| Location | Newport |
| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | William Tanner |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Designated | 9 October 1998 |
| Reference no. | 20528 |
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The Shire Hall (which is Neuadd y Sir in Welsh) is an important old building in Newport, a city in south Wales. It's like a special landmark because it's a Grade II listed building. This means it's protected because of its history and unique design.
Contents
The Story of Shire Hall
Why Was Shire Hall Built?
A long time ago, in 1888, a new law called the Local Government Act 1888 was passed. This law created "county councils" in every part of the country. These councils were groups of people who helped run local areas. The county of Monmouthshire needed a place for its new council to meet. They chose an open area in Newport, on the west side of Queen's Hill, to build their new offices.
Designing a New Building
The building was designed by William Tanner, who was the county's main architect. It opened in 1902 and was first called the "County Council Offices." The original building had two floors and looked very balanced. It had five sections facing Pentonville street, with the sections at each end sticking out a little.
The middle part also stuck out slightly and had a fancy entrance with a curved top. Above this, on the first floor, there was a window with three parts. Higher up, there was a pointed roof section with a round window. Inside this round window, it said: "Monmouthshire County Council 1889." An organization called Cadw, which looks after historic sites in Wales, has said it's a very impressive building from the Edwardian era (the time when King Edward VII was king).
How Shire Hall Grew Bigger
The building became even bigger in 1913. An extra section was added to the right side, and three more sections were added to the left. They also added another floor on top of the whole building. The Queen's Chambers, which were on the right side, were also changed and given an extra floor. Later, a special eight-sided room was built at the back for the council meetings. The county council kept meeting at Shire Hall until 1974, when the council was changed.
What Happened to Shire Hall Later?
After 1974, the local council still used parts of the building for offices until 1978. Then, Shire Hall was empty for a long time, until 2012.
In 2011, some plans were made to turn the building into 20 apartments, but this didn't happen. In 2013, a businessman named Jahan Abedi bought the hall. He was known from a TV show called "Secret Millionaire." He planned to turn the building into 11 one-bedroom apartments and seven two-bedroom apartments. He also wanted to add a reception area and a place to store bicycles.
Mr. Abedi found it a bit tricky to get all the permissions needed to start building, but he eventually got help from Finance Wales. He finished turning Shire Hall into new homes in 2014.
