The Sessions Hall
The Sessions Hall is beyond the kitchen. It was built in 1890 on the eastern edge of the L- shaped site. It was used as a police court and, until 1898, for meetings of the newly formed Berkhamsted Parish Council. In 1938 the Court moved into the newly built Civic Centre across the High Street.
When the Trust started restoring the building in the 1980s the Sessions Hall was the first hall brought back into use. Before this could be done, a new staircase had to be built. The previous access to the Sessions Hall was along a corridor from the top of the twin staircases outside the Assembly Hall. There was a second entrance up a very narrow staircase at the far end of the Sessions Hall - now a small kitchen.
The Lift. In 1996, a lift for the disabled was installed, financed by a grant from Dacorum Borough Council. This meant reducing the size of the Sessions Hall by one bay and blocking off two windows.