The Former Public Hall

The Former Public Hall

This building on the north side of Fleet Street in Preston stands on the site of the former Corn Exchange, constructed between 1822 and 1824. It was remodelled as a meeting hall and entertainment complex known as the Public Hall in 1881 and 1882. The building was partly demolished in 1986 and is now used as a public house.

The structure is built in the Georgian style from red brick with sandstone dressings, beneath a slate roof hipped at the north and south ends. It is T-shaped in plan. The main east-facing front elevation features a projecting central range of three bays with a gable above, flanked by matching ranges of three bays on either side. Sandstone decorative features include a plinth, chamfered quoins, impost bands, a first floor sill band, a plain frieze and a moulded cornice. The centrally placed entrance has a doorway with a Tuscan doorcase surmounted by two plaques with raised lettering. The lower plaque reads "CORN EXCHANGE / ERECTED BY THE CORPORATION / MDCCCXXII / NICHOLAS GRIMSHAW ESQE MAYOR" and the upper reads "ENLARGED AND RESTORED / MDCCCLXXXII / EDMUND BIRLEY ESQRE". A carved sandstone plaque set into the gable above depicts the city's crest of a lamb and flag in relief. All windows except the ground floor lunettes are modern Georgian style. The ground floor windows in the flanking ranges are protected by reused elaborate open-work cast iron screens with anthemion patterns in the fanlights, manufactured by Rothwell, Hick & Rothwell of Bolton. A louvred cupola with a front-facing clock face and domed roof topped by a weather vane surmounts the centre of the roof. Both side returns are of two bays with ground floor round-headed windows and upper floor windows matching those on the front elevation. The plinth, impost band, sill band, frieze and moulded cornice extend around both returns. The south return has a modern fire escape door inserted into a former window aperture. The rear elevation dates from the mid to late 1980s with a projecting central range and gable, with brickwork, windows, quoins and decorative banding matching the rest of the building.

Internally, the building is now fitted as a public house. Two floors are connected by a modern centrally placed staircase. The ground floor consists of a large open room with a bar to the rear, seating to the centre and right, and an open area to the left. Toilets occupy a corner to the right and a cloakroom is situated in the corner to the left. The ceiling features plasterwork detail and is supported by Roman Ionic columns. The upper floor contains a large open room with a bar to the rear and seating to the right, with a modern inserted fire escape behind doors to the left. A door to the right opens into the 1980s extension containing toilets, offices and a second fire escape.

Originally built as the Corn Exchange between 1822 and 1824, the building originally comprised a number of large rooms arranged around an open court covered by a glass roof. In 1842, at the height of Chartist agitation, a demonstration outside the Corn Exchange by striking cotton workers resulted in the military opening fire on the protestors and killing four people. A statue of the Preston Martyrs by Gordon Young was unveiled outside the Corn Exchange in the late 1980s to commemorate this event. The building was remodelled as the Public Hall in 1881 and 1882, furnished with a hall and galleries for meetings and entertainment. In its new format it could accommodate 3,300 people and functioned as Preston's premier meeting and entertainment complex, hosting performances by artists such as The Beatles until its closure in 1972, after which it remained unused. In 1986 listed building consent was granted for demolition of all but the front entrance and foyer to facilitate road improvements. Following demolition a new extension was added to the rear of the surviving part in a sympathetic architectural style. The building reopened as a public house with early features such as the elaborate cast iron window screens and lunette windows being reused on the front elevation. New doors and windows were inserted throughout and two former blind windows in the side elevations were opened.