Corn Exchange, Berwick-upon-Tweed

Last updated

Corn Exchange, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Sandgate - geograph.org.uk - 4812154 (cropped).jpg
Corn Exchange, Berwick-upon-Tweed
LocationSandgate, Berwick-upon-Tweed
Coordinates 55°46′03″N2°00′11″W / 55.7675°N 2.0031°W / 55.7675; -2.0031
Built1858
Architect John Johnstone
Architectural style(s) Italianate style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameFormer Corn Exchange
Designated23 June 2000
Reference no.1380349
Northumberland UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Northumberland

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in Sandgate, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland, England. The structure, which is now used as an apartment block, is a Grade II listed building. [1]

Contents

History

A view of the building in 1905 W.T. Pike Contemporary Biographies Northumberland 1905 (32a).JPG
A view of the building in 1905

In the mid-19th century, a group of local businessmen decided to form a private company, known as the "Berwick Corn Exchange Company", to finance and commission a purpose-built corn exchange for the town. [2] The site that they selected was on the east side of Sandgate. [3] The foundation stone for the new building was laid by the chairman of the development committee, Robert Ramsay, on 27 June 1857. It was designed by John Johnstone of Newcastle upon Tyne in the Italianate style, built by Matthew Reed of Newcastle upon Tyne in ashlar stone at a cost of £5,000, and was officially opened with a public dinner on 28 June 1858. [4]

The original design involved an asymmetrical main frontage of eight bays facing onto the Sandgate, with the first three bays on the left projected forward. The first three bays on the left were fenestrated by round headed windows with architraves and keystones on the ground floor and by square headed sash windows with architraves and cornices supported by brackets on the first floor. The fourth bay, which was also projected forward but to a lesser extent, featured a three-stage tower, with sash windows in the first two stages and a square structure fenestrated by a round headed window in the third stage; it was surmounted by an ogee-shaped dome and a weather vane. The fifth and seventh bays contained tripartite windows with round heads on the ground floor and tripartite windows with segmental heads on the first floor. The sixth bay featured a wide opening flanked by pilasters supporting a segmental pediment on the ground floor and a bipartite window with segmental heads on the first floor. The right-hand bay contained a doorway flanked by pilasters supporting a triangular pediment on the ground floor and a square headed sash window with an architrave and a cornice supported by brackets on the first floor. At roof level there was a balustraded parapet and a series of urns. Internally, the principal room was an oval-shaped main hall, which was 85 feet (26 m) long and 70 feet (21 m) wide with a coved ceiling. [5]

The building was the venue for the volunteer ball held in January each year by the Northumberland Militia Artillery and the Northumberland Rifle Volunteers. [6] It was also used for concerts: performers included the singing group, Christy's Minstrels, in October 1864, [7] the soprano singer, Thérèse Tietjens, in February 1866, [8] and the tenor vocalist, Sims Reeves, in November 1867. [9]

The use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century. [10] However, it continued to be used for public events: the former local member of parliament, Viscount Grey, who served as Foreign Secretary during the First World War, returned to the corn exchange to give a wide-ranging speech about British foreign policy in October 1921. [11]

The Bank of Liverpool and Martins opened a sub-branch in the building in 1922. [12] The branch was rebranded as Martins Bank in 1928 and the building remained as a bank until 1965, when the left-hand section was converted into offices and right-hand section was converted into a swimming pool. The building changed use again in 1998 when the entire structure was converted into apartments. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazlitt Theatre</span> Municipal building in Maidstone, England

The Hazlitt Theatre and Exchange Studio, also known as the Hazlitt Arts Centre, is a theatre complex in Earl Street in Maidstone, Kent, England. The oldest part of the complex, which is now used as a shopping complex on the ground floor, and as a theatre venue known as the "Exchange Studio" on the first floor, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Ives Corn Exchange</span> Municipal building in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building on The Payment in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England. The structure, which is currently used as an events venue, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn exchanges in England</span> Commodity trading halls in England

Corn exchanges are distinct buildings which were originally created as a venue for corn merchants to meet and arrange pricing with farmers for the sale of wheat, barley, and other corn crops. The word "corn" in British English denotes all cereal grains, such as wheat and barley. With the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, a large number of corn exchanges were built in England, particularly in the corn-growing areas of Eastern England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen's Hall, Hexham</span> Municipal building in Hexham, Northumberland, England

The Queen's Hall, formerly Hexham Town Hall, is a municipal structure in Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, England. The structure, which was the headquarters of Hexham Urban District Council and is now an arts centre, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Exchange, Ipswich</span> Commercial building in Ipswich, Suffolk, England

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in King Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, England. The structure, which is currently used as a public events venue, is Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newbrough Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Newbrough, Northumberland, England

Newbrough Town Hall is a municipal building in Stanegate in Newbrough, Northumberland, England. The building, which is used as a community events venue, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welshpool Town Hall</span> Municipal Building in Welshpool, Wales

Welshpool Town Hall, is a municipal building in Broad Street, Welshpool, Powys, Wales. The structure, which is the meeting place of Welshpool Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Lisburn</span> Municipal Building in Lisburn, Northern Ireland

The Old Town Hall is a municipal structure in Castle Street, Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The structure, which is used as a constituency office by the Democratic Unionist Party, is a Grade B2 listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justiciary Buildings, Glasgow</span> Judicial building in Glasgow, Scotland

The Justiciary Buildings is a judicial complex in the Saltmarket in Glasgow, Scotland. The complex, which operates in conjunction with similar facilities in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, is dedicated for the use of the High Court of Justiciary, which is the supreme criminal court in Scotland. It is a Category A listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coldstream Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Coldstream, Scotland

Coldstream Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street, Coldstream, Scottish Borders, Scotland. The structure, which currently accommodates a library and a registration office, is a Category B listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Exchange, Hertford</span> Commercial building in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building on Fore Street in Hertford, Hertfordshire, England. The structure, which is currently used as an events venue, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Exchange, Beverley</span> Commercial building in Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in the Saturday Market, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The structure, which was commissioned as a corn exchange and is now used as a department store, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Exchange, Rochester</span> Commercial building in Rochester, England

The Corn Exchange is a commercial complex in the High Street, Rochester, Kent, England. The complex, which was commissioned as a corn exchange and is now used as an events venue, is a Grade I listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Exchange, Witney</span> Commercial building in Witney, Oxfordshire, England

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in Market Street, Witney, Oxfordshire, England. The structure, which is used as a public events venue, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Exchange, Wallingford</span> Commercial building in Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in the Market Place, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England. The structure, which is used as a theatre, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Exchange, Dublin</span> Commercial building in Dublin, Ireland

The Corn Exchange is a former commercial building and corn exchange on Burgh Quay, Dublin, Ireland. The 19th-century structure, which was subsequently converted to office space, is included in the Record of Protected Structures maintained by Dublin City Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Exchange, Fakenham</span> Commercial building in Fakenham, Norfolk, England

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in the Market Place, Fakenham, Norfolk, England. The structure, which is currently used as a cinema, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Exchange, Romsey</span> Commercial building in Romsey, Hampshire, England

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in the Corn Market, Romsey, Hampshire, England. The structure, which is has been used extensively as a bank branch, is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Hall, Cirencester</span> Commercial building in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England

The Corn Hall is a commercial building in the Market Place, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England. The structure, which is used as a shopping arcade and community events venue, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Exchange, Beccles</span> Commercial building in Beccles, Suffolk, England

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in Exchange Square in Beccles, Suffolk, England. The structure, which is now used as a branch of Lloyds Bank, is a Grade II listed building.

References

  1. ↑ Historic England. "Former Corn Exchange (1380349)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  2. ↑ Report of the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies. House of Commons. 1858. p. 44.
  3. ↑ Rose, Lars (2019). A Kaleidoscope of Victorian Life: The Berwick-upon-Tweed Corn Exchange 1856–1895 (PDF). Friends of Berwick and District Museum and Archives. p. 3.
  4. ↑ Rose (2019), p. 4
  5. ↑ Rose (2019), p. 5
  6. ↑ Rose (2019), p. 9
  7. ↑ Rose (2019), p. 18
  8. ↑ Rose (2019), p. 20
  9. ↑ Rose (2019), p. 27
  10. ↑ Fletcher, T. W. (1973). 'The Great Depression of English Agriculture 1873-1896' in British Agriculture 1875-1914. London: Methuen. p. 31. ISBN   978-1136581182.
  11. ↑ "Berwick Corn Exchange". Northumberland Archives. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  12. ↑ "Berwick-upon-Tweed Corn Exchange". Martins Bank. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
  13. ↑ "The Corn Exchange". Friends of Berwick and District Museum and Archives. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.