County Court - North Laine History

North Laine History
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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.
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