For sale: Cleobury Mortimer's Victorian court house on market complete with prison cell
Cleobury Mortimer's former court house is on the market as a possible family home – complete with its own cell.
The Old Court House in Cleobury Mortimer, which was built in the mid-1800s, has a guide price of £130,000 to £140,000. The former magistrates' court is half of a Victorian building in Lower Street that includes the old police station, though neither has served in its original role in decades.
Though most recently used as offices, auctioneers Halls, suggest it may make an unusual family home.
Josie Nott, of Halls, said: "There aren't many buildings that come up for sale which boast their very own prison cell.
"Being unlisted there is a wonderful opportunity to convert this unique property into a residential dwelling, subject to the necessary planning permissions and consents, or to continue with its current use as an attractive and unusual commercial building."
Inside the building is a large main hall room, with an office or store room at the back as well as a toilet, enclosed yard and the prison cell.
Forty years ago nearly every town in Shropshire convened its own court once a week with a bench made up of local magistrates to dispense justice to people accused of committing crimes in their locality.
Slowly, however, more than 15 courts have disappeared, with Cleobury Mortimer, Church Stretton, Oswestry, Bishop's Castle, Market Drayton, Ludlow, Ironbridge, Madeley, Woodside, Much Wenlock, Shifnal, Wem, Whitchurch, Ellesmere, Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth, all being chipped away.
Today only Shrewsbury and Telford Magistrates Courts remain, with Shrewsbury announced to close this year, leaving only one in the county.
Cleobury Mortimer's police station, more recently based in a modern building in Talbot Square, also closed in 2014.
The Old Court House will be sold at Halls' collective property auction at Hogarths Stone Manor Hotel, Stone, on April 6 at 6pm.
