Access was from Grove Road, which was renamed Penrhyn Road, in honour of the first chairman of the county council, Edward Penrhyn. The design for the original building (the north east section of the current complex), which was faced in Portland stone, involved an asymmetrical main frontage with seven bays facing onto Penrhyn Road; the central section featured an arched doorway which was projected forward and a clock tower with a belfry and a dome above. There were sculptures by Farmer & Brindley on the face of the building.
Access was from Grove Road, which later became Penrhyn Road, in honor of the first county council chairman, Edward Penrhyn. The original building's design (the northern-eastern part of the current complex), constructed with Portland stone, featured an asymmetrical main facade with seven bays facing onto Penrhyn Road; the central section included a projecting arched entrance and a clock tower with a belfry and dome above. Sculptures by Farmer & Brindley adorned the building's exterior.