Tring Market House

Last updated

Tring Market House
The Market House, Tring - geograph.org.uk - 1478727.jpg
Tring Market House
Location61 High Street, Tring
Coordinates 51°47′36″N0°39′45″W / 51.7934°N 0.6625°W / 51.7934; -0.6625 Coordinates: 51°47′36″N0°39′45″W / 51.7934°N 0.6625°W / 51.7934; -0.6625
Built1898
ArchitectWilliam Huckvale
Architectural style(s) Tudor Revival style
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameThe Market House
Designated29 May 1986
Reference no.1083558
Hertfordshire UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Shown in Hertfordshire

Tring Market House is a municipal building in the High Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, England. The structure, which is the meeting place of Tring Town Council, is a Grade II listed building. [1]

Contents

History

The first market house in Tring was a modest mid-17th century rectangular building in Church Yard, and it stood between the parish church of St Peter and St Paul and the High Street. [2] It was built on wooden stilts and was equipped with a pillory and a lock-up for petty criminals on the ground floor. [2] [3]

A public meeting was convened by Tring Urban District Council on 23 April 1897 at the town's Victoria Hall, to consider how to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The meeting voted in favour of demolishing the old market house and building a new one on part of the same site. [4] A committee was appointed to pursue the scheme, and it raised the idea with Lord Rothschild, who owned the manorial rights to the market, and whose country home was Tring Park Mansion. [5] He supported removing the old market house, but said that he would give a much more generous donation towards the cost of a new building if a new site elsewhere could be found, leaving the old site in Church Yard to become an open space. The committee therefore found a new site about 130 metres (140 yd) west of the old building. The new site was in a prominent position at the junction of High Street and Akeman Street, and was owned by Thomas Elliman, who was willing to sell the land. [6]

The new building was financed by public subscription. The land was purchased for £900 and the building cost £1,056; the Rothschild family donated £1,203 towards the total. [7] The architect was William Huckvale, who designed many buildings for Lord Rothschild in Tring around this time. The building was designed in the Tudor Revival style, and was built using timber frame construction. Construction began in 1898 and the building was formally opened on 13 July 1900. [5] [8] Lord Rothschild donated the manorial rights to the market to Tring Urban District Council at the same time. Work on demolishing the old market house began the following week. [9]

As first built, the building comprised an arcaded market place on the ground floor which was open to both High Street and Akeman Street. At the southern end of the ground floor was an ante-room and offices. The upper storey was a large room intended for use as a corn exchange. [9] The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto the High Street; the left hand two bays were open but the right hand bay contained a doorway with a fanlight giving access to a stairway leading to the first floor. On the first floor, which was jettied over the pavement, there was a large oriel window with a gable above. [1]

The building was designed to serve as a market; it was not initially intended that it would become council offices. One of the ground floor offices was used by the council's surveyor from late 1901, but otherwise the council held its meetings at the vestry hall in Church Yard and other office functions were carried out at the offices of Arthur Vaisey, the solicitor who served as the council's clerk. [10] [11] The market house was not a commercial success, and the building had ceased to be used as a market by 1910. At a council meeting in June 1910 it was said that the open lower part of the building had become a public nuisance, whilst the upper part was no longer used and the whole thing was "an expensive and useless building". It was decided to enclose the open ground floor to serve as the town's fire station, and to make alterations to the upper floor to make it more suitable for meetings. [12] The council used the building for its regular monthly meetings from October 1910 onwards. [13] [14] [15]

During the First World War, the building was used as a depot for hospital stores. [16] [17] The council also temporarily moved its meetings back to the vestry hall between 1916 and 1919 due to the wartime lighting regulations that were imposed under the Defence of the Realm Act 1914; it was easier to darken the windows at the vestry hall than the large windows of the market house. [18] [19] [20]

Apart from the surveyor's office in the market house, the council's other administrative offices remained at their clerk's office until 1933. [21] On the resignation of the clerk in November 1933 the council agreed to make alterations to the council chamber in the market house to allow it to house the other office functions and to give the new clerk an office in the building. [22] In 1937 the principal rooms were described as being the council chamber and the offices of the town clerk and town surveyor. [23]

The market house continued to serve as the headquarters of the urban district council until 1952, when the council moved to the former Tring Park estate office at 9 High Street. [24] [25] In 1974 Tring Urban District was abolished, with the town then coming under Dacorum Borough Council, based in Hemel Hempstead. [26] A new Tring Town Council was created to cover the former urban district, and the town council returned to Market House, taking over the first floor as its offices and meeting place, [27] while the ground floor was occupied by the local information centre and various retail users including, since January 2009, a homewares shop. [28]

Artworks

Works of art in the market house include paintings by the local artist, Arthur Hedges, depicting both the old market house in Church Square and the new market house as it was when it was first built. [29]

Related Research Articles

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

Berkhamsted is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, in the Bulbourne valley, 26 miles (42 km) north-west of London. The town is a civil parish with a town council within the borough of Dacorum which is based in the neighbouring large new town of Hemel Hempstead. Berkhamsted, along with the adjoining village of Northchurch, is encircled by countryside, much of it in the Chiltern Hills which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

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

Aylesbury is the county town of Buckinghamshire, South East England. It is home to the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery and the Waterside Theatre. It is in central Buckinghamshire, midway between High Wycombe and Milton Keynes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tring</span> Market town in Hertfordshire, England

Tring is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Dacorum, Hertfordshire, England. It is situated in a gap passing through the Chiltern Hills, classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, 30 miles (50 km) from Central London. Tring is linked to London by the Roman road of Akeman Street, by the modern A41 road, by the Grand Union Canal and by the West Coast Main Line to London Euston. Settlements in Tring date back to prehistoric times and it was mentioned in the Domesday Book; the town received its market charter in 1315. Tring is now largely a commuter town within the London commuter belt. As of 2013, Tring had a population of 11,731.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dacorum</span> Local government district in England

The Borough of Dacorum is a local government district in Hertfordshire, England that includes the towns of Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring and Kings Langley. The district, which was formed in 1974, had a population of 137,799 in 2001. Its name was taken from the old hundred of Dacorum which covered approximately the same area. It is the westernmost of Hertfordshire's districts, being bordered to the west by the Chiltern and Aylesbury Vale districts of Buckinghamshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South West Hertfordshire (UK Parliament constituency)</span> Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1950 onwards

South West Hertfordshire is a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament, represented since 2019 by Gagan Mohindra, a Conservative.

Wing Rural District was a rural district in the administrative county of Buckinghamshire, England. It was created in 1894 with the name Linslade Rural District, but was renamed Wing Rural District in 1897 when Linslade itself was removed from the district to become an urban district. Wing Rural District was abolished in 1974 to become part of Aylesbury Vale District.

Aylesbury was a rural district in the administrative county of Buckinghamshire, England from 1894 to 1974. It was named after but did not include Aylesbury, which was a separate municipal borough.

Wycombe Rural District was, from 1894 to 1974, a rural district in the administrative county of Buckinghamshire, England.

Watford Rural District was a rural district in Hertfordshire from 1894 to 1974. It initially surrounded but did not including the town of Watford, which was a separate urban district. It gradually ceded territory to other districts, and by the time of its abolition in 1974 the district comprised three separate pieces of land, lying to the north-west, north-east, and south of Watford.

Tring Rural is a civil parish in Hertfordshire, England. It includes the villages of Long Marston, Wilstone, Puttenham, and the hamlets of Gubblecote and Astrope. It is largely situated to the north-west of the town of Tring. The town of Tring itself is not part of the parish.

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

Cow Roast is a hamlet within the civil parishes of Northchurch and Wigginton in Hertfordshire, England. It is between Tring and Berkhamsted, along the A4251, adjacent to the Grand Union Canal and the West Coast Main Line. Today it comprises a row of 20th-century houses and a marina, together with several older properties including a public house. There are three car dealerships and a petrol station beside the main road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesham Urban District</span>

The town of Chesham formed a local government district in the administrative county of Buckinghamshire, England from 1884 to 1974. It was administered as a local government district from 1884 to 1894, and as an urban district from 1894 to 1974.

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

Northchurch is a village and civil parish in the Bulbourne valley in the county of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. It lies between the towns of Berkhamsted and Tring.

Linslade was an urban district in the administrative county of Buckinghamshire, England from 1897 to 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Municipal Borough of Aylesbury</span>

The town of Aylesbury formed a local government district in Buckinghamshire, England from 1849 to 1974. It was administered as a local board district from 1849 to 1894, as an urban district from 1894 to 1916, and as a municipal borough from 1917 until its abolition in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aylesbury Vale</span> Geographic region in Buckinghamshire, England

The Aylesbury Vale is a geographical region in Buckinghamshire, England, which is bounded by the City of Milton Keynes and West Northamptonshire to the north, Central Bedfordshire and the Borough of Dacorum (Hertfordshire) to the east, the Chiltern Hills to the south and South Oxfordshire to the west. It is named after Aylesbury, the county town of Buckinghamshire. Winslow and Buckingham are among the larger towns in the vale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Hall, Aylesbury</span> County building in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England

County Hall is a high-rise tower block in Walton Street in Aylesbury, in the county of Buckinghamshire in England. It was built to house the former Buckinghamshire County Council. Following local government reorganisation in 2020 the building is now owned by Buckinghamshire Council. County Hall continues to be used as offices by the new council, but meetings of the council are held at The Gatehouse in Aylesbury, the former offices of Aylesbury Vale District Council.

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

Aylesbury Town Hall is a name which has been used for two different buildings in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England. Since 2007 the name has been used for an office building at 5 Church Street, which serves as the headquarters of Aylesbury Town Council. The name was also formerly used for a complex of buildings which had been built in 1865 as a corn exchange in Market Square, and which served as the offices and meeting place of the local council from 1901 to 1968. The majority of the old town hall was demolished shortly afterwards, leaving only the entrance archway facing Market Square still standing, now called Town Hall Arches. This remaining part of the old town hall is a Grade II* listed building as part of the range of civic buildings on the southern side of Market Square including the old County Hall.

Berkhamsted Rural District was a rural district in Hertfordshire, England from 1894 to 1974, covering an area to the west of the county. Until 1937 the official spelling of the district's name was Berkhampstead Rural District.

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

Berkhamsted Civic Centre is a municipal building in the High Street in Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, England. The structure accommodates the offices and meeting place of Berkhamsted Town Council.

References

  1. 1 2 Historic England. "The Market House (1083558)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 Page, William (1908). "'Parishes: Tring with Long Marston', in A History of the County of Hertford". London: British History Online. pp. 281–294. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  3. "Tring Lock-up". Prison History. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  4. "Celebration of the Queen's Jubilee: Public meeting at Tring". Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News. 1 May 1897. p. 7. Retrieved 20 January 2022. That subject to the consent of the Lord of the Manor being obtained the present Market House and buildings shall be demolished, and another building erected for holding the Corn Market on Fridays, on a portion of the present site.
  5. 1 2 "Tring". Kelly's Directory for Hertfordshire. 1902. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  6. "The Jubilee Market House at Tring". Bucks Advertiser and Aylesbury News. 19 June 1897. p. 8. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  7. "The New Market House". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 20 April 1901. p. 5. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  8. "Tring: New Market House". Chesham Examiner. 13 July 1900. p. 5. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  9. 1 2 "Tring: Opening of the new Market House". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 21 July 1900. p. 6. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  10. "Tring: Urban District Council". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 7 December 1901. p. 8. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  11. "Tring". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 14 May 1910. p. 6. Retrieved 20 January 2022. …and at Mr. Vaisey's offices, which are also the offices of the Tring Urban District Council…
  12. "Tring: Urban District Council: Market House Committee". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 18 June 1910. p. 6. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  13. "Tring: Urban District Council". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 15 October 1910. p. 6. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  14. Contracts. The Builder. 1910. p. 110.
  15. Fowler, Jill (2009). Tring Through Time. Amberley Publishing. ISBN   978-1848683181.
  16. "Wartime Hospitals in Dacorum". Dacorum Heritage. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  17. Petticrew, Ian. "Military Hospitals in Tring during in[sic] the Great War, 1914-1919". Tring Local History Society. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  18. "Tring: Urban District Council". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 16 September 1916. p. 6. Retrieved 20 January 2022. The question of future meetings, in view of the Lighting Regulations, was discussed… It was decided to meet at the Vestry Hall at the usual time, arrangements having been made for darkening the windows there.
  19. "Tring: Urban District Council". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 5 July 1919. p. 8. Meeting at Vestry Hall
  20. "Tring: Urban District Council". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 6 December 1919. p. 8. Meeting at Market House
  21. Kelly's Directory of Hertfordshire. London. 1933. p. 262. Urban District Council... Offices, Western Road... Clerk: A. Brooke Turner, solicitor, Western road... Surveyor & Sanitary Inspector, Herbert N. Hedges, Market house, Akeman street
  22. "Tring Urban District Council". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 10 November 1933. p. 12. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  23. "Tring". Kelly's Directory for Hertfordshire. 1937. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  24. "Tring Council to have new offices". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 9 November 1951. p. 6. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  25. "Milestone in council's history". Bucks Herald. Aylesbury. 10 October 1952. p. 8. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
  26. Local Government Act 1972. 1972 c.70. The Stationery Office Ltd. 1997. ISBN   0-10-547072-4.
  27. "Tring Town Council" . Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  28. "Trading Places in Tring". Hertfordshire Life. 3 February 2021. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
  29. "The Market House". Art UK. Retrieved 9 October 2021.