The former Court House in the centre of Warwick has been splendidly renovated by the Unlocking Warwick organisation and over the summer they are offering free guided tours around the building (11 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month). I went round recently and can recommend the tour. The building has a long and interesting history: formerly St Peter’s Chapel stood on this site and then the Cross Inn. It survived the great fire of Warwick in 1694 but was rebuilt afterwards in keeping with other buildings in the centre of the town.
The Ballroom
Upstairs is a splendid ballroom that has seen many dances and other elegant gatherings; it has a fine coved ceiling and good views of adjacent houses and St Mary’s Church. The wooden floor proved unsafe and had to be replaced in the recent refurbishment
Former Magistrate’s Court
On the ground floor is the Mayor’s Parlour that used to be the Magistrate’s Court – or Petty Sessions – and the tourist information bureau (which you can visit at other times of course). Various items are displayed here including portraits of two local philanthropists – Thomas Oken and Nicholas Eyffler – and a fine old chest that belonged to one of them.
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