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.
However, with the fall in price of English corn as a result of cheap imports, corn exchanges mostly ceased to be built after the 1870s. Increasingly they were put to other uses, particularly as meeting and concert halls. Many found a new lease of life in the early 20th century as cinemas. Following the Second World War, many could not be maintained, and they were demolished. In the 1970s their architectural importance came to be appreciated, and most of the surviving examples are listed buildings. Most of the surviving corn exchanges have now been restored, and many have become arts centres, theatres, or concert halls.
Early corn exchanges
Corn exchanges were initially held as open markets normally controlled by the town or city authorities. Corn exchanges start appearing in the earlier part of the 18th century. At Bristol corn was sometimes traded at the Exchange Buildings in conjunction with other goods and produce. The Bristol Exchange was built to the designs of the Bath architect John Wood, the Elder in 1741–1743. Wood also designed the equally impressive exchange in Liverpool (which is now Liverpool Town Hall) in 1749–1754."Colvin" (1995), pp. 1074-5. In London the earliest covered corn exchange building was the London Corn Exchange built in Mark Lane in 1747. At Brighton, a corn exchange was built as part of the Brighton Dome. Other corn exchanges followed with Wisbech (1811), Norwich (1828), Sheffield (1830), Stowmarket (1836), Bury St Edmunds (1837) and Cambridge (1842). Many of the early corn exchanges, such as Hadleigh and Winchester, were built round quadrangles where the trading took place, but the central area was roofed over at a later date.
After the repeal of the Corn Laws It was the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846 which led to an explosion in corn exchange building. This also coincided with the boom in railway building, resulting in the easier transportation of corn."George" (2018), p. 12 In some towns the corn exchanges were built by the civic authorities but in others speculative Market Companies were set up to promote the trading of corn. Considerable civic and commercial rivalry ensued and in the small market town of Market Rasen in Lincolnshire two corn exchanges were built in 1854. As these corn exchanges were rarely operating for more than two hours in a week, the buildings would be let out for many other purposes including public meetings concerts and dances."George" (2018), p. 18 With the Great Depression of British Agriculture, which occurred from about 1873 to 1893, the building of new corn exchanges had largely ceased by 1880. The building of new exchanges was limited to re-building earlier exchanges, normally as part of larger market schemes.
Corn exchanges in the 20th century In the 20th century corn markets were often also used as cinemas or for venues for roller skating or wrestling. In the later part of the 1950s the following two decades they had often become dilapidated and uneconomic to maintain. This resulted in the widespread demolition of many corn exchanges, particularly in smaller market towns. However, an increasing appreciation of their architectural merit led to many becoming Listed Buildings. More recently many have been renovated by local authorities or community trusts as Arts venues. Many of the smaller exchanges had ceased trading by the start of the 20th century. However, the larger centres continued to grow and the corn exchange at Lincoln recorded its busiest trading year in 1924."George" (2018), pp. 68-69 After the Second World War the larger markets gradually closed. Lincoln ceased trading in 1984 and Leeds continued until 1995.
Corn exchanges listed by ceremonial counties of England
Bedfordshire
Bedford Corn Exchange. 1874. St Paul's Square. By Ladd's and Powell. Built of stone with three bays and very big segmented-arched first floor windows, and an attic with four big chimneys like pinnacles.Pevsner N. (1968), The Buildings of England: Bedfordshire, Huntindon and Peterborough, p. 52. Leighton Buzzard, Corn Exchange, Lake Road, 1862. By Bellamy and Hardy. According to Pevsner: "Victorian at its most irresponsible. Gay and vulgar, with two two-storeyed middle porch adorned with atlantes and caryatids. The style is a kind of dissolute Renaissance."Pevsner N. (1968), The Buildings of England: Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough, p. 110. The London Illustrated News of 23 May 1863 described the Exchange as "a very handsome stone structure, situated in a commanding position, at one end of the market-place, with a good frontage. The Exchange-hall is spacious, and decorated with Ionic pilasters, cornice, and recessed, arched windows at the sides; the ceiling is formed into sunk coffers by enriched stiles, supported by coved ribs ... The design throughout is chaste and original, the front being designed in the modern Italian style of architecture, and consists of two stories of three light Venetian windows." The cost of site and buildings was about £7500. It later was used as a cinema and in 1932 the spire above the portico became unsafe and was taken down. The Exchange was demolished in 1966. Luton. Market Hill at the top of George Street. 1868 in Victorian Gothic style with frontage with gothic arches and steep spire. Architects were Grundy and Messenger of London, built Smart Brothers of Luton, and owned by Luton Borough Council. Partially demolished in 1951 and later fully demolished by 1994. This replaced an earlier Corn Market House of 1775. This was described by Joseph Hawkes in 1823: "The old Corn Market house, a prominent and memorable building standing on the site of the present Corn Exchange ... The old place was built on pillars, open on all sides, with corn chambers on the upper floor when any unsold grain could be stored, a market bell on the centre of the ridge, which was also used as a firebell."
Berkshire
Hungerford Corn Exchange. High Street. Now part of Hungerford Town Hall. Grade II listed. Florentine Gothic. Designed by Ernest Prestwick of Leigh in Lancashire in 1870. Two storey with slate roof with parapet at front and corbeled eaves at sides, lead cupola and balcony, red brick with yellow moulded dressings, stone copings, cornices, bell arch balustrade and columns. Bracketed cornices, patterned frieze, channelled brick pilasters with stone capitals. Meeting rooms at front with stair to rear and corn exchange hall at right angles to rear. To the front a clock tower over entrance on the right, with three semi-circular arched glazing windows in recessed yellow brick arches beneath these are double arched windows with columns and ornate decoration in tympanum of large outer arch. Stone plinth and three steps up.
Newbury Corn Exchange, Market Place. The building was originally a corn exchange which opened for trade in 1862,Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette, 5 June 1862 but after the decline in corn trading it was used for public meetings; in 1993 it was opened as an arts centre after a £3.5 million refurbishment. The building is now a Grade II listed building. In 2000 Newbury Corn Exchange passed from West Berkshire Council to The Corn Exchange (Newbury) Trust, an independent charity. Reading Corn Exchange, Market Place 1854. Grade II listed. Corn Exchange by J B Clacy and F Hawker. Renaissance style with single bay in Bath stone ashlar. Three stages capped by pepper-pot turret with a bell and weathervane. Lower stage has rusticated piers with swagged fruit caps to lintel. Second stage an arched recess with pierced balcony and flanking fluted Ionic columns. Keystone with Prince of Wales crest and motto. Top stage has Corn Exchange in relief on base and brackets to elaborate fruit and flower carved border to gilt and blue clock. Now an entrance to shopping arcade.
Bristol
The Exchange, Bristol. The Exchange is a Grade I listed building built in 1741–43 by John Wood the Elder, on Corn Street, near the junction with Broad Street. It was previously used as a corn and general trade exchange but is now used as offices and the St Nicholas Market. In 1872 there was a major programme of building works to a design by Edward Middleton Barry. This provided a roof over the central court of the Exchange. Outside the building are four bronze tables dating from the 16th and 17th centuries, known as "nails", at which merchants traded.
Cambridgeshire
Cambridge Corn Exchange. Florentine Gothic with decorative polychrome brickwork over window arches. 1875–1876. By Richard Reynolds Rowe. Successful design in the competition of 1869 assessed by Alfred Waterhouse. Polychrome brickwork using grey gault brick with red and blue brick dressings and tiled bands. Three-bay entrance front onto Wheeler Street with the arched entrance set forward. Ten-bay frontage on Corn Exchange Street. Roof of glass and cast iron. The interior makes use of decorative local and industrial materials, coloured bricks. cast-iron, terracotta, encaustic tiles and faience. This building replaced an earlier corn exchange by Bellamy and Hardy of 1858, not necessarily on this site.Lincolnshire Chronicle - 19 February 1858 p. 5. Peterborough. Exchange Street/ Church Street. Built in 1848. Simple classical facade with pilasters. Trading in corn continued until 1961, but from 1954 it had been used as a music and dance hall until demolition in 1964. Replaced by the Norwich Union building, which was demolished in 2009.
St Ives Corn Exchange. The Pavement. 1864. Grade II listed. By Robert Hutchinson of St Ives and Huntingdon. Two storeys with double-fronted facade with three windows and projecting pedimented central bay. Gault brick with red brick and stone dressings. Parapet surmounted by urns. Stone entablature with bracketed dentil cornice. Rusticated brick ground floor. Round-arched recessed windows at first floor level. Restored and re-opened as a community venue in June 2010.
St Neots. Corn exchange, corner of South Street with High Street. 1863–1865. "Yellow brick with rounded corner and jolly cast-ironwork""Pevsner", (1968), p. 341. Corner of High Street and South Street. Constructed in 1865. According to the Illustrated London News the architect was Pearson Bellamy of Lincoln.Illustrated London News 17 October 1865, p. 392 In 1915 the building was purchased by C. A. James, landlord of the Bridge Hotel, who opened it as a cinema. The building caught fire in 1929 and the cupola fell down. It was refurbished and renamed the Pavilion Cinema, but in 1969 the whole building was demolished. Wisbech Corn Exchange. Following the draining of The Fens, the area became one of the largest corn producers. The Port of Wisbech became one of the biggest shippers of grain. The corn exchange extension by Bellamy and Hardy of Lincoln, 1858 stands behind the original Exchange Hall. It later became a popular concert venue and performers included the rock band, The Rolling Stones, in July 1963. The proprietor Norman Jacobs MBE also set up skating rinks, would run Saturday night dances and brought some of biggest names in show business to the Corn Exchange. The Jacobs family are still the owners. A trust has been set up to restore the building.
City of London