West Derby Courthouse
West Derby Courthouse is probably Liverpool's oldest non-ecclesiastical public building and is administered by Croxteth Hall and Country Park. Dating from 1586, it is the only free-standing post-Medieval courthouse in Britain.
In 2005 it had a £110,000 refurbishment. In June 2006 members of the Sealed Knot battle re-enactment group attended the official opening by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool.
The Courthouse, rebuilt on the orders of Queen Elizabeth I (Good Queen Bess), contains original benches plus a room reached through a door with three locks and containing unique muniment cupboards (1711) which once contained vital documents. It is believed they originally came from Sefton Hall, which the Molyneux family demolished that year when they moved to Croxteth Hall.
The court, last used regularly in Victorian times, dealt with land issues and offences such as allowing your pig to roam without a ring in its nose! Miscreants could spend up to six hours in the nearby stocks, which can still be seen.
The Courthouse is open 2.00pm to 4.00pm every Sunday afternoon from April to October (not Easter Sunday); admission is free. It is supervised by volunteers organised by the West Derby Society.
The courthouse is in West Derby village opposite the pedestrian entrance to Croxteth Country Park - a pleasant walk up the Main Drive from the hall. In addition, there is parking in the village or buses 61 (Aigburth - Bootle) or 12 (city centre to Stockbridge Village) stop nearby.
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