In 1773 all the buildings within the castle walls were demolished and replaced with a courthouse built in limestone in the Palladian style. The design was by local architect Philip Stowey, amended by James Wyatt. At this time, the early-16th-century entrance arch was replaced by a new one, built of reclaimed stone and sporting a false portcullis. This remains the entrance to the site today. The court buildings were extended to the west in 1895, creating offices for the new county council, and extended again in 1905 by the addition of a neo-Palladian wing to the east.