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Listed County Hall fails to sell at auction

Alice Cunningham/BBC A view of the exterior of County Hall in Ipswich. The building is made of large grey bricks and has a similar look to a castle. People can be seen walking past. Alice Cunningham/BBC
No-one has stepped forward to buy County Hall despite the site's rich history spanning almost 200 years

A historic building in the heart of a town that has laid empty for more than 20 years has failed to sell at auction.

Ipswich County Hall - a Grade II listed site where the divorce of Wallis Simpson was granted in 1936 ahead of her marriage to the then King Edward VIII - was not sold during the online event.

The Tudor-style building had a reserve price of £895,000 and came with planning permission to convert it into 40 flats.

However, no successful bids were placed at the remote auction, which started at 09:00 BST and was conducted by Savills.

Getty Images Wallis Simpson sits with Edward VIII in a garden. They are smiling and look away from the camera. It is a black and white image. Getty Images
Wallis Simpson divorced her husband at County Hall so she could marry Edward VIII

Dating back to 1837, County Hall in St Helen's Street has been a prison, a courthouse and the headquarters of Suffolk County Council.

The local authority moved its 1,300 staff to nearby Russell Road in 2004 and it has remained empty ever since, falling into a state of disrepair.

Last year, Ipswich Borough Council members voted to approve plans to convert the hall into flats.

Alice Cunningham/BBC Another view of part of County Hall. Windows can be seen spanning three storeys while a clocktower can be seen at the end of the building. Alice Cunningham/BBC
County Hall has been a court, a prison and council offices over the years

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