Description

HERTFORD

TL3212NE FORE STREET
817-1/17/69 (North side)
12/04/73 No.37
Former Corn Exchange and Public Hall

GV II

Includes: Nos.2-8 MARKET STREET.
Former Corn Exchange and Public Hall, now subdivided with
ground floor shops with frontage to Market Street, with first
floor hall accessible from Fore Street entrance. 1857-59,
Architect William Hill of Leeds, altered 1979-80. Ashlar
front, red brick flank (west) elevation, Welsh slated and
glazed roof.
EXTERIOR: 2-storey, 3-bay front to Fore Street in modified
classical style, with pediment and entablature surround on
giant modified Tuscan Doric pilasters set upon tall plinths,
left and right, with intermediate Corinthian pilasters. 3
first floor arched windows, with inner window separated from
outer by Tuscan antae, with moulded extrados, and keyblock
connecting to intrados of outer arch, supported on pilasters
with carved ornamental outer keyblocks. Fretted stone panels
below windows. Ground floor 2 triple windows, separated by
antae, with flanking pilasters, above projecting panelled
plinths. Central doorway with tall twin leaf 10 panelled
doors. Fascia carries raised inscription 'Corn Exchange and
Public Hall' Pediment with central circular-framed carved
panel shows the Hertfordshire hart against a background of
sacks of corn (originally flanked by carved foliated
scrollwork removed during a mid C20 refacing of the stonework)
Carved bases and plinth, left and right and central above
pediment originally carried carved urns, and the figure of
Ceres, Goddess of the harvest, which were removed early in the
Second World War as potential hazards in the event of air
raids, and were never replaced.
West flank elevation to Market Street originally blank; the
street was cut through in 1890, involving the demolition of
part of the adjoining block to the west (now Nos 25-35 Fore
Street, qv) when the covered market (Architect Reginald
Blomfield) was constructed to the rear of the Corn Exchange.
The covered market was demolished 1979, and redeveloped as
small shop units, and the ground floor of the Corn Exchange
was converted to 4 shops, Nos 2-8 Market Street; the upper
floor was converted to a hall with lecture studio and
committee room.
INTERIOR: coved ceiling and iron trussed roof remains visible

in the main hall.
The Corn Exchange replaced a more modest building, constructed
in the early 1840s. Prior to this, dealing in corn took place
at the back of Shire Hall.
(Hertfordshire Countryside: Moodey G: Old buildings in the
County Town: Letchworth: 1946-1973: 46; The Buildings of
England: Pevsner N: Hertfordshire: Harmondsworth: 1977-: 186;
Green L: Hertford's Past in pictures: Ware: 1993-: 10, 12;
Felstead A: Directory of British Architects 1834-1900: London:
1993-: 445).

Listing NGR: TL3275012628

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Hertford Corn Exchange at Wikipedia
• Hertford Corn Exchange official website
• Wikidata Q26559206

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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