The former County Court
Church St
At the end of the c18th all the land at the eastern end of
Church St, opposite the Dome, was a military barracks built for soldiers who
were garrisoned during the Napoleonic Wars. The barracks were crude timber framed
buildings set on brick and housed over 500 soldiers. After 1815 and the end of
the Napoleonic Wars the barracks were retained for those soldiers who were part
of the king’s guard whilst he was present in Brighton. Once Victoria became
Queen in 1837 and royal visits to Brighton happened less frequently, the
barracks fell into disrepair. The Artillery volunteers used the site as their base
until in 1870 the barracks closed and were demolished. In their place the
corporation built the North Rd Slipper
Baths on the northern side of the barracks area whilst a County Court was built
facing Church St. The court opened in 1869 and remained in use until 1967,
becoming a store for the library. The building is now used for events.