Old Market Hall, Shrewsbury

Last updated

Old Market Hall
Shrewsbury 9 (7048676077).jpg
Old Market Hall
LocationMarket Place, Shrewsbury
Coordinates 52°42′27″N2°45′16″W / 52.70742°N 2.75444°W / 52.70742; -2.75444
Built1597
ArchitectWalter Hancock
Architectural style(s) Classical Renaissance style
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated10 January 1953
Reference no.1254925
Shropshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Shropshire

The Old Market Hall (in recent years branded as the "OMH") is an Elizabethan building situated in the town centre of Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, England. It is a Grade I listed building. [1]

Contents

History

A market hall has stood on the site since the 1260s. [2] A new market hall, replacing the original structure, was erected on the site in 1567. [1] The current building, which is thought to have been designed by Walter Hancock in the Classical Renaissance style, was completed in 1597. [1] Walter Hancock was recommended by one of his employers, Francis Newport, who praised his abilities in a letter to the town corporation on 11 November 1595. Hancock had also worked for the lawyer Thomas Owen. [3]

The building was arcaded on the ground floor so that markets could be held, with an assembly room on the first floor. The arcading was formed by a series of Tuscan order columns supporting voussoirs. The first floor was fenestrated by mullioned and transomed windows. The central bay on both sides was projected forward: a Royal Coat of Arms of Queen Elizabeth I, with the date of 1596, and the English lion and the Welsh dragon as supporters, was carved into the stone above the central arch on the west side. [1]

In the 17th century the assembly room was used by the Shrewsbury Drapers Company to sell Welsh cloth and the lower floor was used by farmers to sell their corn. [2] A statue of a man in armour was installed high above the main arch on the north side; it is thought to be Richard, Duke of York (died 1460) and is believed to be the only statue of him in the country. [2] This sculpture was originally located on the Welsh Bridge and it was moved to its current location on the orders of the town mayor in 1771. [1]

The ground floor was used as a venue for the local market until a new market hall, designed by the county surveyor, Robert Griffiths, in the Italianate style was brought into use at a large site bounded by Mardol Head, Claremont Street, Shoplatch and Bellstone in 1869. [4] [5] [6]

The lower part of the structure was subsequently used for a variety of purposes, including as an air raid shelter during the Second World War [7] while the assembly room was used as the town's magistrates court a new court complex was opened in Preston Street in 1994. [8] The building then remained vacant and deteriorating until restoration work started in 2004. The building then underwent a major restoration, to the designs of Arrol & Snell and Glenn Howells Architects, [9] [10] to convert it into an arts venue and café, showcasing films and digital media. [11] The restoration was completed at a cost of £1.7 million and the building re-opened on 19 January 2004. The first film to be shown in the new 81-seat auditorium was My House in Umbria . [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shropshire</span> County in England

Shropshire is a ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England, on the border with Wales. It is bordered by Cheshire to the north, the Welsh county of Wrexham to the north and northwest, Staffordshire to the east, Worcestershire to the southeast, Herefordshire to the south, and the Welsh county of Powys to the west. The largest settlement is Telford, while Shrewsbury is the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ludlow</span> Town and civil parish in Shropshire, England

Ludlow is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is located 28 miles (45 km) south of Shrewsbury and 23 miles (37 km) north of Hereford, on the A49 road which bypasses the town. The town is near the confluence of the rivers Corve and Teme.

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

Oswestry is a market town, civil parish and historic railway town in Shropshire, England, close to the Welsh border. It is at the junction of the A5, A483 and A495 roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craven Arms</span> Town in Shropshire, England

Craven Arms is a market town and civil parish in Shropshire, England. It is sited on the A49 road and the Welsh Marches railway line, which link it north and south to the larger towns of Shrewsbury and Ludlow respectively. The town is enclosed to the north by the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and to the south is the fortified manor house of Stokesay Castle.

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

Frankwell is a district of the town of Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, England. It lies adjacent to the River Severn, to the northwest of the town centre, and is one of Shrewsbury's oldest suburbs. The main road running through the area is also called Frankwell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Condover Hall</span> Building in Shropshire, United Kingdom

Condover Hall is a Grade I listed three-storey Elizabethan sandstone building, described as the grandest manor house in Shropshire, standing in a conservation area on the outskirts of Condover village, Shropshire, England, four miles south of the county town of Shrewsbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Meadow</span> Football stadium

New Meadow, also known as The Croud Meadow for sponsorship purposes, is a stadium situated on the southern outskirts of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, between the districts of Meole Brace and Sutton Farm, and close to the A5. It serves the home ground of English football club Shrewsbury Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury</span> Church in Shropshire, England

St Chad's Church in Shrewsbury is traditionally understood to be founded in Saxon times, and King Offa is believed to have founded the church, though it is possible it has an earlier foundation even than that.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury</span> County town of Shropshire, England

Shrewsbury is a market town, civil parish and the county town of Shropshire, England. It is sited on the River Severn, 150 miles (240 km) north-west of London. At the 2021 census, the parish had a population of 76,782.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitchford Hall</span> Grade I listed building in Shropshire, United Kingdom

Pitchford Hall is a Grade I listed Tudor country house in the village of Pitchford, Shropshire, 6 miles south east of Shrewsbury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edward Haycock Sr.</span> English architect (1790 - 1870)

Edward Haycock Sr. was an English architect renowned for his work in the West Midlands and central and southern Wales during the late Georgian and early Victorian periods.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shirehall, Shrewsbury</span> County building in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England

Shirehall is a municipal facility in Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, Shropshire. The building, which is the headquarters of Shropshire Council, is just north of Lord Hill's Column.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Pontefract</span> Municipal building in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England

The Old Town Hall is a historic town hall in Market Place in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England. It was completed in 1785 and was replaced by Pontefract Town Hall which was completed in 1882. It was designated a Grade II* listed building in 1950.

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

March Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Square in March, Cambridgeshire, England. The building, which was the headquarters of March Urban District Council, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Ellesmere</span> Municipal building in Ellesmere, Shropshire, England

The Old Town Hall is a municipal building in the High Street in Ellesmere, Shropshire, England. The structure, which was the meeting place of Ellesmere Urban District Council, is a Grade II listed building.

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

Clun Town Hall is a municipal building in The Square in Clun, Shropshire, England. The building, which is now used as a museum, is a Grade II* listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Midhurst</span> Municipal building in Midhurst, West Sussex, England

The Old Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Square in Midhurst, West Sussex, England. The building, which is managed by the Midhurst Town Trust, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shrewsbury Justice Centre</span> Court building in Shrewsbury, England

Shrewsbury Justice Centre is a Crown Court venue which deals with criminal cases, in Preston Street, Shrewsbury, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Town Hall, Newport</span> Municipal building in Newport, Shropshire, England

The Old Town Hall is a municipal building in St Mary Street, Newport, Shropshire, England. The structure, which is now divided into a series of shop units on the ground floor and used as a children's play area on the first floor, is a Grade II listed building.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitchurch Civic Centre</span> Municipal building in Whitchurch, Shropshire, England

Whitchurch Civic Centre is a municipal building in Whitchurch, a town in Shropshire, in England. It accommodated the offices of Whitchurch Town Council until September 2023, when the building was closed, following the discovery of potentially dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Historic England. "Old Market Hall (1254925)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "History of the Old Market Hall". Old Market Hall. 1 March 2007. Archived from the original on 30 April 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2007.
  3. HMC 15th Report Appendix Part 10: Shrewsbury Corporation (London, 1899), p. 60.
  4. Newman, John; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Watson, Gavin; Watson, Michael; White, Roger (2006). Shropshire (Buildings of England Series). Yale University Press. p. 65. ISBN   978-0300120837.
  5. "Shropshire" (PDF). Victoria County History. p. 17. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  6. "Local Historian giving talk on Shrewsbury Market Hall site". Shropshirte Live. 15 September 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  7. "Secret Shropshire". Crime and Punishment. 1 March 2007. Archived from the original on 14 February 2007. Retrieved 4 March 2007.
  8. "Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court earmarked for closure". Shropshire Live. 16 July 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  9. "Old Market Hall". Arrol Architects. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  10. "Old Market Hall". Glenn Howells Architects. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  11. Shrewsbury Tourist Information & Visitor Guide (2016) [2009]. "Shrewsbury". Virtual Shropshire.
  12. "Old Market Hall". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 18 March 2023.