Cherie's Place

A moot hall is a meeting or assembly building, traditionally to decide local issues:

In Anglo-Saxon England, a low ring-shaped earthwork served as a moot hill or moot mound, where the elders of the hundred would meet to take decisions. Some of these acquired permanent buildings, known as moot halls. However, many moot halls are on relatively new sites within later settlements.

Newcastle’s Moot Hall is situated directly opposite the Vermont Hotel.  It is currently used as a Court of Law, but it can be hired for weddings, events and filming:

Type of court:

Crown Court used for criminal and civil cases

Description:

Two large courtrooms with oak fixtures and fittings

Date and period:

Building is Georgian dating from 1812, with the courtrooms restored to Victorian design from 1875

Key features:

The entrance is up a broad flight of sandstone steps and Grecian portico to the entry hall and magnificent staircase beyond, leading to balcony on the first floor. The chandelier lit Grand Jury Room has splendid views over the river Tyne and it’s bridges. Two traditional oak Courtrooms dating from 1875 have trapdoors in the docks leading down to the cell area with original studded doors and shackle rings. Both courts have oak canopied Judges benches and extensive public galleries.

External features:

Described on completion as the most perfect specimen of Doric architecture in the North of England, the Moot Hall has a columned portico to the front, whilst the design of the rear is based on the Parthenon in the Athens.

Tags: Moot Hall, Newcastle, Vacation