The Shire Hall was built in 1802 and housed the court of quater sessions in the grand upper chamber, above an open market hall below. The streetfront was extensively remodelled in 1901 and the building has been recently refitted internally to accommodate the Dyfed Archaeological Trust.
This is a grand two storey building incongruously sited in a narrow street. It presents an elaborate symmetrical three bay stuccoed facade with a slightly gabled parapet concealing the slate hipped roof. The rusticated ground floor has a doorway flanked by windows in the centre bay, with large round-headed windows (originally openings to the market hall?) in the outer bays. The centre bay is masked by a columned portico. The upper storey has a large round-headed window in the centre bay, opening onto a balustraded balcony above the portico. The outer bays have smaller round-headed windows. The bays are divided by Ionic pilasters, paired either side of the centre bay, and a band crosses the windows.
There is a narrow walled forecourt (NPRN 23339), slighly inturned to allow space for crowds to gather.
The building is made up of two parallel ranges. The larger front range had the open market hall on the ground floor and the great court room above on what was effectively the piano nobile above a rusticated podium. The court room retains some original features(?). The rear range contained the stairs and sundry offices. The cells may have been located in a small rear courtyard.

Source: NMR Holdings

John Wiles 19.10.07