The terracotta facade of the Victoria Law Courts

Located on Corporation Street in Birmingham, the Victoria Law Courts is a red brick and terracotta judicial building. The site was previously occupied by the old Birmingham Workhouse, which was demolished as part of a scheme by Mayor Joseph Chamberlain to clear old slums. Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone on 23 March 1887 during her Golden Jubilee year.

Designed by Aston Webb and Ingress Bell of London after an open competition, the building was intended to provide Birmingham with its first assize courts. The exterior is faced entirely in deep red terracotta from Ruabon in North Wales and features an asymmetrical main frontage with octagonal towers and conical roofs. A statue of Queen Victoria by Harry Bates surmounts the main entrance.

Constructed by the firm John Bowen and Sons, the courts were opened by the Prince and Princess of Wales on 21 July 1891. The building underwent additions between 1891 and 1894 and saw extensions built along Newton Street in 1914. The interior, including the Great Hall, is faced with sandy-yellow terracotta produced by Gibbs and Canning of Tamworth.

In 1987, Crown Court trials moved to the Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts in Dalton Street. A proposal to move the magistrates' court to a new purpose-built building nearby was made prior to the 2010 UK General Election, but the project was abandoned after budget cuts and because magistrates indicated a desire to remain in the Victoria Law Courts complex.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons