Galleries of Justice
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The Galleries of Justice Museum exterior 2010
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| Established | 1995 |
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| Location | The Lace Market Nottingham |
| Collection size | HM Prison Service collection |
| Director | Tim Desmond |
| Public transit access | Bus, tram, train |
| Website | www |
The Galleries of Justice Museum, also known as the Shire Hall, is an independent museum and a registered charity on High Pavement in the Lace Market area of Nottingham, England. The museum is housed in what was once a Victorian courtroom, Gaol and Police station, and is therefore a historic site where an individual could be arrested, sentenced and executed.
The courtrooms date back to the 14th century and the gaol to at least 1449, the building was used as a police station from 1905 to 1985, and the courts closed in 1986.
The Galleries of Justice are housed in a Shire Hall, which stands in the Lace Market area of Nottingham.
The earliest confirmed use of the site for official purposes was by the Normans, who appointed sheriffs to keep the peace and collect taxes; hence the site was also referred to as the Sheriff's Hall, the County Hall or the Kings Hall.
The first written record of the site being used as a law court dates from 1375. The first written reference to its use as a prison is in 1449.
There has been a court of justice on this site since 1375, although over the centuries the courts and prison have been developed and enlarged. An example of this is when in 1724 the courtroom floor collapsed. The Nottingham Courant in March 1724 recorded:
On Monday morning, after the Judge had gone into the County Hall, and a great crowd of people being there, a tracing or two that supported the floor broke and fell in and several people fell in with it, about three yards into the cellar underneath. Some were bruised, but one man named Fellingham was pretty much hurt, one leg being stript to the bone, and was much hurt. This caused great consternation in Court, some apprehending the Hall might fall, others crying out "Fire"! etc. which made several people climb out of the windows. The Judge, being also terribly frightened, cried out "A plot! A plot!", but the consternation soon being over the Court proceeded to business.
The Hall was re-built between 1769 - 1772. The architect was James Gandon from London and cost about £2,500 (equivalent to £337,515 in 2015). The builder was Joseph Pickford of Derby. The inscription on the top of the building reads:
This County Hall was erected in the year MDCCLXX and in the tenth year of the reign of His Majesty George III.
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Wikipedia