The (now lost) County Court, The Parade, Epsom 

Epsom’s County Court in The Parade, shortly before its 2011 demolition.
Photograph courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum.

I recently updated Trefor Jones’ 2009 article about Epsom’s now lost Magistrates Court in Ashley Road to provide details of its successor Windsor Court apartment block plus GP surgery. In doing so, I noticed that this website had nothing about the County Court that was at its rear, but fronting onto the Parade. This article fills the gap.

Before going further, it is worth explaining the difference between the types of court. Magistrates Courts deal mainly with criminal cases plus a few civil ones. These are heard and decided by “Justices of the Peace” – unpaid (and trained) legal volunteers. (For serious crimes, a magistrate would refer the case to a Crown Court, to be tried before a judge and jury.) County Courts deal wholly with civil disputes that cannot be settled by negotiation, arbitration or mediation: cases there are heard and decided by a paid (and formally qualified) judge or district judge.

Epsom County Court opened in 1847. By the 1930s, the need was felt for a dedicated building – and the resulting art deco building was built and opened just before WW2.

The main entrance.
(The Royal Crest over the door is, as noted at the end of this article, all that now remains.)
Photograph courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum.

Confirmation of the building’s date.
Photograph courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum.

As will be seen from the outline floor plan below (which, for clarity, does not show smaller rooms and corridors), the building had two courts, accessed from the reception area – as was an enquiry desk at the entrance to the main office. The building also had a Bailiff’s Room – as shown in the second photograph above, to be accessed via a side entrance.

Outline floor plan of the County Court.
Drawn by Roger Morgan 2023.

Composite view of the Reception area, looking towards the entrance to Court 1.
Photographs courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum.

Inside Court 1.
Photograph courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum.

The reception area, showing the entrance to the main office’s enquiry desk.
(The main entrance from The Parade is on the far left here.)
Photograph courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum.

Both Court buildings closed in the early 2000s. In the case of the County Court, its work was transferred to 84-90 East Street, Epsom – by the junction with Church Road. That Court was closed in December 2010, the Ministry of Justice arguing that the increasing use of internet and email to communicate and access services negated the need for local, tangible public services – noting also that this would save over half a million pounds in operating costs. (At the time of writing, 84-90 East Street is occupied by the World Mission Society Church of God.)

Country and Metropolitan Homes (part of Gladedale Homes) acquired both the Magistrates Court and the old County Court with a view to redeveloping the sites. After various rounds of negotiation, planning permission was granted to demolish both buildings and erect two apartment blocks.

Getting ready for the 2011 demolition . . .
Photograph courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum.

. . . and demolition under way.
Photograph courtesy of Bourne Hall Museum.

The block of 30 flats built on the cleared site explicitly notes its previous use in being called “The Old Courthouse”.

“The Old Courthouse”.
(see below for the arrowed detail.)
Photograph by Roger Morgan © 2023

The street view of the building is identical in style to “Windsor Court” that was built on the site of the former Magistrates Court – and the back of which can be seen on the right of the photograph. In the courtyard between the two blocks is (at the tip of the white arrow) is a last echo of the lost County Court, being the now rather weathered Royal Coat of Arms from above its main entrance, as shown below. (And the eagle-eyed may also note that the substantial stone-topped brick wall in the right foreground appeared in the earlier photographs above.)

The Royal Coast of Arms from above the main entrance to the County Court.
Photograph by Roger Morgan © 2023

Roger Morgan © 2023