The Shire Hall, Llandeilo

The Shire Hall is a historic building located in the town of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It was built in 1837 as a courthouse and administrative center for the county. The building was designed by architect George Morgan and features a prominent clock tower and a grand entrance portico.

The Shire Hall served as a courthouse for over a century, but by the mid-20th century it was no longer used for that purpose. In the 1970s, the building was restored and converted into a community center and museum. Today, the Shire Hall hosts a range of events and exhibitions, and its museum tells the story of the town and its surrounding area.

The Shire Hall is considered to be of special historic interest and sits within the conservation area of Llandeilo. It is also a popular tourist attraction in Llandeilo and is widely regarded as one of the town's most important landmarks.

The building underwent a major renovation and restoration project that aimed to improve its facilities and enhance its historical features. Darkin Architects were appointed by Menter Dinefwr as the Architect and Lead Consultant, not only securing planning and building regulations consents, but also assisting Menter Dinefwr in gaining a substantial Capital Asset Transfer National Lottery Grant towards the £1.4m scheme.

The project included the installation of a new lift to provide better accessibility to all floors of the building. The building's roof was also repaired and a new heating system was installed to improve comfort for visitors and occupants.

In addition to these functional improvements, the refurbishment also included the creation of a new exhibition space on the ground floor. This space is used to host temporary exhibitions that showcase the work of local artists and explore different aspects of the town's history and culture.

Overall, the refurbishment of The Shire Hall was a significant investment in the preservation and development of this important heritage site. It has helped to ensure that the building remains a vital part of the community and a popular destination for visitors to Llandeilo.

Prior to submitting for Planning or the funding bid, we held a public consultation to showcase the design and gained a 100% positive response from the public. This was one of the first projects in which we utilised Virtual Reality to show the scheme to the public.