List entry Summary
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Name: SESSIONS HOUSE
List entry Number: 1279796
Location
SESSIONS HOUSE, LANCASTER ROAD
The building may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
| County |
District |
District Type |
Parish |
| Lancashire | Preston | District Authority | |
National Park: Not applicable to this List entry.
Grade: II*
Date first listed: 27-Sep-1979
Date of most recent amendment: 20-Dec-1991
Legacy System Information
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System: LBS
UID: 392061
Asset Groupings
This list entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information.
List entry Description
Summary of Building
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
Reasons for Designation
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.
History
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Details
PRESTON
SD5429SW LANCASTER ROAD
941-1/12/176 (West side)
27/09/79 Sessions House
(Formerly Listed as:
LANCASTER ROAD
(West side)
Crown Court and Sessions House)
GV II*
Court house. 1900-3, by Henry Littler. Large rectangular block
on site bounded by Harris Street to the south and Lancaster
Road and Birley Street to east and west rspectively. Sandstone
ashlar (roof concealed). Edwardian Baroque style. Three high
storeys over basement, symmetrical on all 3 sides, the
principal facade to Harris Street 1:5:1:5:1 windows, the
centre and end bays breaking forwards, with a plinth, the
ground floor treated as a rustic, coupled giant Ionic columns
to the centre and the outer bays, moulded frieze, modillioned
cornice, pediments to the outer bays and an open-segmental
pediment to the centre, a balustraded parapet as high as the
pediments, and a tower over the centre. The centre has a porch
with blocked columns, a round-headed concave doorway with
convex bacony over; above this a round-headed window with
elaborate including figures on the pediment, then an oculus
framed by swags; an embellished shield in the pediment; and a
tall Baroque tower of 4 diminishing and successively set back
stages, the 3 upper stages with free-standing Ionic columns
and much enrichment. The rustic ground floor has wide
semi-circular headed tripartite sashes, with blocked surrounds
and voussoirs; the 1st floor and 2nd floors have 24- and
12-pane sashes respectively, all with moulded architraves and
those at 1st floor with cornices; and the outer bays have
convex balconies to tall round-headed windows with enriched
open pediments, and segmental-headed windows above. Hipped
roof with enriched chimney stacks. The east and west facades,
1:3:1 windows, have centres recesse above the rustic, with 4
Ionic semi-columns and windows like those at the front, and
outer bays with pedimented architraves to the windows; the
east side has 2 round-headed doorways in the rustic, and the
west side has a segmental-headed archway to the left.
INTERIOR: rich decoration including 2 principal courtrooms
with pilastered panelling, panelled library with swags etc.,
panelled former dining room with fine architraves to doors,
and magistrates' cloakroom furnished in Purbeck marble.
Listing NGR: SD5404529476
Selected Sources
Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details
National Grid Reference: SD 54045 29476
Map
© Crown Copyright and database right 2012. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100019088.
© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2012. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
The above map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. For a copy of the full scale map, please see the attached PDF - 1279796.pdf
This copy shows the entry on 19-May-2013 at 06:30:42.