Corn Exchange, Harleston

Corn Exchange
Corn Exchange, Harleston
Location	Exchange Street, Harleston
Coordinates	52°24′05″N1°17′58″E / 52.4013°N 1.2995°E / 52.4013; 1.2995
Built	1849
Architect	John Bunn
Architectural style(s)	Neoclassical style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name	Corn Exchange
Designated	26 November 1976
Reference no.	1303219
Shown in Norfolk

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building in Exchange Street in Harleston, Norfolk, England. The structure, which used as a vintage and antiques emporium until June 2023, is a Grade II listed building. ^[1]

History

Until the mid-19th century, corn merchants conducted their trade in the open air around the Market Cross, which was situated where the Clock Tower now stands, on the north side of the Market Place. ^[2]

Following the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, local leaders decided to commission a purpose-built corn exchange. The new building was designed by John Bunn of Norwich in the neoclassical style, built with a stucco finish and was completed in 1849. ^{[3] [4]} The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of three bays facing onto Exchange Street. The central bay, which was slightly projected forward, featured a tetrastyle portico formed by four Tuscan order columns supporting a heavy entablature and a cornice. Inside the portico, there was a double doorway with a moulded architrave and a rectangular fanlight. Above the doorway was a rectangular panel, inscribed with the words "Corn Exchange" and the date of construction. The outer bays, which were blind, featured Tuscan order pilasters at the corners. Internally, the principal room was the main hall, which was 70 feet (21 m) long and 40 feet (12 m) wide. ^[5]

The architectural historian, Nikolaus Pevsner, was unimpressed with the concept which he described as "a crude design based on giant Tuscan columns". ^[6] 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. ^[7] The building instead served as the venue for petty session hearings, ^[8] and as a venue for public events including dances, regimental balls and roller skating events. ^[9]

In the early 1990s, the corn exchange closed and, after the fabric of the building began to deteriorate, it was put on the Heritage at Risk Register. The Canadian actor, Bradley Lavelle, acquired the building and, in 2004, initiated a major programme of refurbishment works to convert it into a shopping venue with restaurant, wine bar, and delicatessen known as Xchange. The business was not financially successful and, after it closed in July 2005, ^[10] the building was sold in 2007. ^[11]

The building re-opened as a vintage and antiques emporium under new management in August 2013, ^[12] but, after the business again faced financial difficulties, it changed hands in 2022. In the context of the cost-of-living crisis, the new owner closed it again in June 2023. ^[13]

See also

• Corn exchanges in England

References

1. Historic England. "Corn Exchange (1303219)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 30 July 2023.
2. White, William (1836). History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk, and the City and County of the City of Norwich, and the Diocese of Norwich. p. 753.
3. "Corn Exchange, Harleston". Norfolk Heritage Explorer. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
4. "Harleston Conservation Area Character Appraisal and Management Guidelines". South Norfolk and Broadland Council. 1 December 2016. p. 8. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
5. White, Francis (1854). History, Gazetteer, and Directory of Norfolk, and the City and County of the City of Norwich. p. 383.
6. Pevsner, Nikolaus; Wilson, Bill (2002). Norfolk 2 North-west and south Part 2. Yale University Press. p. 150. ISBN   978-0300096576.
7. Fletcher, T. W. (1973). 'The Great Depression of English Agriculture 1873-1896' in British Agriculture 1875-1914. London: Methuen. p. 31. ISBN   978-1136581182.
8. A Magisterial and Police Guide: Being the Statute Law With Notes and References to the Most Recently Decided Cases, Relating to the Procedure, Jurisdiction, and Duties of Magistrates and Police Authorities; with an Introduction Showing the General Procedure Before Magistrates Both in Indictable and Summary Matters, and a Copious Index. Stevens & Haynes. 1874.
9. "People to be asked over arts centre plan". East Anglian Daily Times. 31 January 2003. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
10. "Future of Corn Exchange in doubt". Eastern Daily Press. 25 July 2005. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
11. "Mystery over Harleston Corn Exchange". Diss Mercury. 12 August 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
12. "South Norfolk Corn Exchange reopens in vintage style 11th August 2013". Eastern Daily Press. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
13. "Vintage and antique Xchange in Harleston closing its doors". Eastern Daily Press. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 30 July 2023.