| The Wool Hall | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location within Bristol | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Town or city | Bristol |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 51°27′08″N2°35′22″W / 51.4522°N 2.5894°W Coordinates: 51°27′08″N2°35′22″W / 51.4522°N 2.5894°W |
| Completed | 1830 |
| Cost | £4400 [1] |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Richard Shackleton Pope |
The Wool Hall is a historic building in St Thomas Street, Redcliffe, Bristol.
The wool trade had been important in Bristol since the 11th century, but the smell generated by fullers softening wool in urine meant the trade was banished from the city centre and relocated in Redcliffe. [2]
The building was constructed in 1830 to house the city's wool market, [1] as Bristol Bridge had become too congested by sheep farmers travelling across it. [3] It was designed by Richard Shackleton Pope and has been described as "the first quasi-industrial building in Bristol to attempt a real architectural facade". [4] It was designed in a classical style with a symmetrical front. Internally, the building included a Pennant-flagged ground floor and staircase. [5] The ground floor served as a weighing house, while the upper floors were used for storage. The total cost was £4,400 (now £419,100). The building was not a success since it was too far from the farmer's markets at Temple Meads, and the wool trade moved to the Corn Exchange in 1834. [3]
The building survived the bombing of Bristol during World War II, unlike several nearby 17th-century buildings which were hit and subsequently demolished. [6] In 1980, the building was modified to include new doors. The ground floor became the Fleece and Firkin brewpub, while the upper floors were offices. [5] [7] The Fleece became a venue for live music, hosting gigs by Oasis, Pulp, Emeli Sande, Radiohead and Amy Winehouse. [7]
The Wool Hall was awarded grade II listed building status by English Heritage in 1975. [4]
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool.
The British Wool Marketing Board operates the central marketing system for UK fleece wool. A farmer-run organisation, British Wool was established in 1950 with the aim of achieving the best possible net return for producers. It is the only organisation in the world that collects, grades, sells and promotes fleece wool and is the only remaining agricultural commodity board in the UK.
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The Crescent is a street in Taunton, a town in the English county of Somerset. Construction began in 1807, during a period of extensive redevelopment in the town, driven by the Market House Society and the Member of Parliament Sir Benjamin Hammet. Lined on the eastern side by a Georgian terrace, the street follows a shallow crescent shape, broken in the middle by Crescent Way and a bit further south by St George's Place. It links Upper High Street, at its southern end, with Park Street and Tower Street to the north. On the western side, Somerset County Council have their offices in the County Hall, erected in 1935, and extended in the 1960s. The Georgian terrace, the Masonic Hall, and the County Hall are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as listed buildings.
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.
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