The County Court Chambers were completed in 1824, and give the name to Court Street opposite. This handsome honey-coloured Ham stone building was designed by Richard Carver, a prolific Somerset architect, who also had a hand in the Cornhill Market House, the Town Hall, Holy Trinity Church and the old Fore Steet Gaol.
Architecturally, the County Court is a well-proportioned yet modest piece of classical revival, with two Ionic pillars (the round ones with scrolls on top) and the rectangular Tuscan-style ‘antae’ (square pillars). It suits the pretentions and elegance of early nineteenth century Bridgwater perfectly. The choice of the rich Ham stone was well-made: this area was once part of Bridgwater Castle, which used that sort of stone for its finer details (see the Watergate for example).
This was built to hold the County Court for debt recovery and only closed in December 1999. The Town Gaol was nearby in Fore Street, although a local myth that a tunnel connected the two is nonsense.
Court House used to be called Coffee House Lane, as there was once the town’s coffee house here, although exactly where has yet to be determined.
Across the road from the courthouse are two very different antiquities of old Bridgwater. On the far side of the car park is a ruined wall which probably has some association with the castle. At the curve of Queen Street towards Castle Street is Castle House, commonly called the Concrete Castle.