[1][3] The design involved a symmetrical castellated main frontage of five bays facing New Road: the central section featured a projecting castellated porch containing a round headed doorway with a small round headed window above encircled with the inscription "County Hall A.D. MDCCCXLI" ("County Hall A.D. 1841"); there were turrets at roof level and the other bays contained round headed windows.

[5] The limited office space at County Hall required the council to establish other premises for its staff.

County Offices was designed by William Austin Daft and built in white limestone with yellow sandstone dressings.

[8][9][a] The design for the five-storey building involved continuous bands of glazing with concrete panels above and below.

[12] The old building continued to be used as a courthouse – it was the venue for the trial and conviction of Donald Neilson for the kidnapping and murder of Lesley Whittle in July 1976[13] – until the new Oxford Combined Court Centre in St Aldate's was completed in October 1985.