The Sessions House

The Sessions House is a courthouse in Beverley with a balanced five-bay frontage facing New Walk, supported by a two-storey portico with Ionic columns. The main entrance and central pediment create a formal composition that was typical of important public buildings from its era.

Built in 1814 by architect James Pigott Pritchett, this building replaced an earlier sessions house located at Hall Garth where court proceedings had previously taken place. The move represented an important shift in how the town organized its judicial functions.

The front of the building displays a Royal coat of arms topped with a figure representing justice, which makes the legal purpose of the structure immediately visible. These symbols were meant to communicate authority and the rule of law to everyone visiting this place.

The building is now a private commercial space and not open to the public for interior visits, though the exterior can be viewed from New Walk. The front facade with its distinctive columns and central pediment is best seen from the street in daylight hours.

For much of the late 1800s, the building hosted both court sessions and meetings of the East Riding County Council, serving the town as both a judicial and administrative hub. This dual purpose reflected how central institutions were often located in a single structure.