Market Building, Penzance

Last updated

Market Building, Penzance
The Market House, Penzance - geograph.org.uk - 107115.jpg
West elevation of The Market Building
Market Building, Penzance
Alternative namesLloyds Bank
General information
Location Penzance
Cornwall
Construction started11 July 1836
Inaugurated28 June 1838
ClientCorporation of Penzance
Owner Lloyds Bank
(1965-c.2006)
Eros Properties Ltd.
(2006-2023)
Penzance Regeneration Company (from 2023)
Design and construction
Architect(s)William Harris of Bristol
Cornwall UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of Market Building, Penzance in Cornwall
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated29 July 1950
Reference no. 1221062

The Market Building in Penzance is a Grade I listed building situated at the top of Market Jew Street, Penzance.

Contents

History

The site of the Market Building was bought from the Manor of Alverton for £34 as one of the first acts of the Corporation of Penzance after James I granted the town a charter in 1614. The site housed a market building, a guildhall and Penzance's prison. With alterations and repairs, the buildings lasted until their replacement in the 1830s. [1] [2] In James Neild's survey of prisons, he wrote that the prison in the market building had been replaced in about 1805, but it has been suggested that he was mistaken. [3]

Current building

Design

The Corporation of Penzance organised an architectural competition for the building of a new market building on the site of the original. Although H J Whiting of London won the competition, his design was deemed too expensive for the Corporation (at the time, local councils were subject to increasing Government control by the passing of the Municipal Corporations Act 1835 and it was decided to use a cheaper scheme). The second place design was widely unpopular and so the contract was awarded to Bristol architect William Harris instead. Whiting sued for damages when his design was not chosen and was given £300 compensation. [2] Samuel Teulon was also among the unsuccessful architects. [1] [4]

The Market Building was designed to

direct its users attention away from the vulgarity of the streets and the uninspired and often depressingly ugly uniformity of the town. [5]

Built from granite ashlar, the building is crowned by a lead-covered dome and octagonal lantern [6] which is visible from much of the town, and from neighbouring villages. The eastern end consists of four ionic columns with a portico known as tetrastyle and overlooks a main thoroughfare of Penzance (which was once the A30) and a statue of Humphry Davy (erected in 1872). [1] [4] As part of the design, a quarter-chiming clock was provided by Thomas Hale & Sons of Bristol, said by the maker to be 'the largest clock in the West of England'; it sounded the quarters on two bells and the hours on a third bell. [7] (A powerful clock was needed because two of the dials were 200 feet (61 m) apart, and the other two 36 feet (11 m) apart.)

Construction, opening and use

The foundation stone was laid on 11 July 1836 and the building was opened by the Mayor of Penzance Richard Pearce on the day of Queen Victoria's Coronation, 28 June 1838, though it may have started trading two weeks earlier. [1] [2] The building originally housed a market in the western half of the building and the guildhall in the east. [4] The basement below the guildhall originally contained cells for prisoners, while the first floor was used as a grammar school from 1867 to 1898. The upper storey of the western end housed the Corn Exchange which also served a dual purpose as a theatre. [8] The building's dome was at one time home to the Penwith Natural History Society. [1]

The eastern part of the building remained as the guildhall until St John's Hall (200 metres (660 ft) to the west) was built on glebe land in Alverton and opened in 1867. [1] [9] The Penzance Grammar School (1789–1898) took over the council rooms and remained there until 1898 when it closed. [4]

The building's west face was redesigned in 1925 with rounded corners to allow larger vehicles to turn the corner from Market Place and Market Jew Street. [1]

Current state

Lloyds Bank took over the western half of the building in 1925 when they shortened it by some 15 feet and modified the entrance. [8] The bank bought the building from the Borough of Penzance in 1965 for £35,000. [4] The western half of the building is still occupied by a Lloyds bank and the shop units in the eastern half are vacant. Despite the bank saying it would repair the building in 2014 after the roof began leaking and the interior suffered water damage, [10] leaks have persisted and the condition continued to deteriorate. In 2019 it was placed on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register due to plaster decay in the historic interior and timber rot due to damp. [11] [12]

Renovation and repair

In 2020, the Market Building was included in Penzance's bid for funding from the government's Future High Street Fund, though it was noted that it may have to be removed and included in the Towns Fund bid due to feasibility problems. [13] In June 2021, Penzance was guaranteed £21.5m from the Town Deals Fund and a further £10.4m from the Future High Streets Fund. [14] The next month, a pre-application was made for plans to repair the ground floor of the eastern side of the building. [15]

The Penzance Regeneration Company, backed by Future High Streets funding, acquired the building in 2023. In 2024, Lloyds Bank restored the exterior of the building, and restoration of the interior is due to take place in 2025. [16]

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Marazion</span> Town in southwest Cornwall, England

    Marazion is a civil parish and town, on the shore of Mount's Bay in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is 2 miles (3.2 km) east of Penzance and the tidal island of St Michael's Mount is half-a-mile offshore. At low water a causeway links it to the town and at high water passenger boats carry visitors between Marazion and St Michael's Mount. Marazion is a tourist resort with an active community of artists who produce and sell paintings and pottery in the town's art galleries.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Penzance</span> Town in Cornwall, England

    Penzance is a town, civil parish and port in the Penwith district of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is the westernmost major town in Cornwall and is about 64 miles (103 km) west-southwest of Plymouth and 255 miles (410 km) west-southwest of London. Situated in the shelter of Mount's Bay, the town faces south-east onto the English Channel, is bordered to the west by the fishing port of Newlyn, to the north by the civil parish of Madron and to the east by the civil parish of Ludgvan. The civil parish includes the town of Newlyn and the villages of Mousehole, Paul, Gulval, and Heamoor. Granted various royal charters from 1512 onwards and incorporated on 9 May 1614, it has a population of 21,200.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Newlyn</span> Town in Cornwall, England

    Newlyn is a seaside town and fishing port in south-west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is the largest fishing port in England.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Penwith</span> Area in west Cornwall, England

    Penwith is an area of Cornwall, England, located on the peninsula of the same name. It is also the name of a former local government district, whose council was based in Penzance. The area is named after one of the ancient administrative hundreds of Cornwall which derives from two Cornish words, penn meaning 'headland' and wydh meaning 'at the end'.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Mousehole</span> Village in southwest Cornwall, England

    Mousehole is a village and fishing port in Cornwall, England, UK. It is approximately 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Penzance on the shore of Mount's Bay. The village is in the civil parish of Penzance. An islet called St Clement's Isle lies about 350 metres (380 yd) offshore from the harbour entrance.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Madron</span> Human settlement in England

    Madron is a civil parish and village in west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Madron is named after Saint Madern's Church. Its annual Trafalgar Service commemorating the death of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson was started on 27 October 1946, following a local tradition that his death was first announced on British soil in the Union Hotel, Penzance.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Morrab Library</span> Library in Cornwall, England

    The Morrab Library is a subscription library in Penzance, Cornwall in England.

    The Manor of Alverton was a former manorial estate located in the hundred of Penwith, west Cornwall, England, United Kingdom.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Castle Horneck</span> Historic site in Cornwall, England

    Castle Horneck is a Grade II* listed building, and refurbished Georgian mansion to the west of the Cornish town of Penzance. It is currently owned by the Youth Hostels Association (YHA) and has been used as a youth hostel since 1950.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Guildhall, Kingston upon Hull</span> Municipal building in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England

    The Guildhall is a building on Alfred Gelder Street in the City of Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The building is currently the headquarters of Hull City Council but is also used as a venue for conferences, civic receptions and formal dinners. It is a Grade II* listed building status.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Penlee House</span> Building in Cornwall, England

    Penlee House is a museum and art gallery in the town of Penzance, Cornwall, home to many paintings by members of the Newlyn School, including The Rain It Raineth Every Day by Norman Garstin, School is Out by Elizabeth Forbes, Among the Missing by Walter Langley and On Paul Hill by Stanhope Forbes. It is operated by Penzance Town Council in association with Cornwall Council.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolton Town Hall</span> Municipal building in Bolton, Greater Manchester, England

    Bolton Town Hall in Victoria Square, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, was built between 1866 and 1873 for the County Borough of Bolton to designs by William Hill of Leeds and George Woodhouse of Bolton. The town hall was extended in the 1930s to the designs of Bradshaw, Gass and Hope and has been designated a Grade II* listed building by English Heritage.

    Alexander Daniell was the sole proprietor of the Manor of Alverton, Cornwall from 1630 until his death in 1668.

    Penzance is a town, civil parish and port in Cornwall, United Kingdom. As well as the town of Penzance, the civil parish also includes the town and port of Newlyn and the villages of Gulval, Heamoor, Mousehole and Paul.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">St John's Hall, Penzance</span> Municipal building in Penzance, Cornwall, England

    St John's Hall, formerly known as the Public Buildings, Penzance, is a municipal building in Alverton Street, Penzance, Cornwall, England. The structure, which was the headquarters of Penzance Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Saltash Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Saltash, Cornwall, England

    Saltash Guildhall is a municipal building in Fore Street, Saltash, Cornwall, England. The structure, which was the meeting place of Saltash Borough Council, is a Grade II listed building.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Helston Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Helston, Cornwall, England

    Helston Guildhall, formerly Helston Town Hall, is a municipal building on Market Place, Helston, Cornwall, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Helston Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Liskeard Guildhall</span> Municipal building in Liskeard, Cornwall, England

    Liskeard Guildhall is a municipal building in Pike Street, Liskeard, Cornwall, England. The structure, which was the meeting place of Liskeard Borough Council, is a Grade II* listed building.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">St Ives Guildhall</span> Municipal building in St Ives, Cornwall, England

    St Ives Guildhall is a municipal structure in Street An Pol, St Ives, Cornwall, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of St Ives Town Council, is a locally listed heritage asset.

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

    Marazion Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place, Marazion, Cornwall, England. The town hall, which currently includes a museum on the ground floor, is a Grade II listed building.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Michael Sagar-Fenton (2017). Penzance in 50 Buildings. Amberley Publishing. pp. 39–41. ISBN   9781445665863.
    2. 1 2 3 "Penzance: A New Queen and a New Market House". Penwith Local History Group. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
    3. ↑ "Penzance Borough Gaol". Prison History. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 Pool, Peter A S (1974). The History of the Town and Borough of Penzance. Penzance: The Corporation of Penzance.
    5. ↑ Schmiechen, James A; Carlson, Kenneth (1999). The British Market Hall: A Social and Architectural History. Yale University Press. p. 48.
    6. ↑ "Market Building, Penzance". Archived from the original on 21 December 2013.Retrieved 25 June 2013
    7. ↑ Pickford, Chris, ed. (1995). Turret Clocks: Lists of Clocks from Makers' Catalogues and Publicity Materials (2nd ed.). Wadhurst, E. Sussex: Antiquarian Horological Society. p. 13.
    8. 1 2 Rees, Edgar A. (1956). Old Penzance. p. 49.
    9. ↑ Helen Dale (19 July 2016). "Royal seal of approval for two of Penzance's iconic buildings". Falmouth Packet . Retrieved 15 July 2021.
    10. ↑ "Grade I listed building in Penzance to be repaired". BBC News Cornwall. BBC. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
    11. ↑ Charlotte Bacquart (17 October 2019). "Cornwall's historic sites which are at risk of being lost forever". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
    12. ↑ Historic England. "Market Building, Market Place, Penzance - Cornwall (UA) (1221062)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 15 July 2021.
    13. ↑ Richard Whitehouse (10 February 2020). "Penzance Plans for High Street Fund". Cornish Stuff. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
    14. ↑ Ryan Morwood (15 June 2021). "Plans to regenerate Cornish town centres become reality as £89m funding confirmed". Falmouth Packet . Retrieved 22 August 2021.
    15. ↑ "Planning – Application Summary PA21/01850/PREAPP". Cornwall Council . 28 July 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
    16. ↑ "BaR News Round-up January 2025". Save Britain's Heritage. Retrieved 26 January 2025.

    50°07′08″N5°32′12″W / 50.118794°N 5.536731°W / 50.118794; -5.536731

    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.