The Market Hall, Corn Exchange And Fish Market

The Market Hall, Corn Exchange and Fish Market

This complex of market buildings in Doncaster's Market Place evolved over three periods of construction: 1847–9, 1870–3, and 1930. The work combines designs by J Butterfield, architect to Doncaster Corporation, with William Watkins of Lincoln, and later 20th-century additions. The buildings are constructed of ashlar with red sandstone dressings, featuring slate and leaded roofs, some partly glazed.

The layout is irregular, formed by the integration of three distinct structures. The original 1849 market hall has a U-shaped plan and rises to two storeys. The 1870 corn exchange, also two storeys but with a taller roof, sits within this U and projects forward. A single-storey fish market was added to the rear in 1930.

Main North Elevation

The principal north elevation displays the corn exchange at its centre. Five central bays of the corn exchange project forward by three bays, flanked on either side by three-bay end elevations of the original market hall. The ground floors feature rusticated stonework; the corn exchange has advanced central and side bays with projecting stonework at the corners, functioning as plinths for clasping corner pilasters and adjacent engaged red sandstone columns to the first floor. The side bays contain pilastered semi-circular headed doorcases with 20th-century doors and plain fanlights. The central bay has similar doors below an entablature supported by paired engaged polished granite columns. Above the side bays are metal traceried circular windows in recessed cavetto-moulded fluted surrounds set over fluted friezes with central corbelled coats of arms. The central bay has a large lunette window, also in a fluted cavetto surround with an archivolt, surmounted by a panel of symbolic female figures in relief. A balustrade to the front includes a plinth inscribed 'Wm Cotterill Clark Mayor 1873'.

Bays 2 and 4 feature triple semi-circular headed openings to both floors, with central niches to the ground floor, otherwise with 20th-century glazing; those to the first floor have balustrading. An entablature above carries a modillioned cornice and a triglyphed frieze with paterae to the central and side bays, plain elsewhere. Bays 2 and 4 have balustraded parapets; the side and central bays have panelled parapets flanked by pilastered end piers, those to the side bays topped with acroteria. The central three bays are recessed behind a large segmental gable topped by a bracketed pediment. Three-bay return elevations follow a similar style to the front.

Original Market Hall Elevations

The original market hall's main elevations face the sides. The west elevation comprises seven bays, the east elevation six bays. Bays 2 and 6 of the west elevation are slightly advanced and contain large double-leaf panelled doors below traceried fanlights in archivolts springing from the level of the first-floor band. Above these are rusticated voussoirs and a fixed nine-pane window in a plain architrave. To the first floor, these bays are flanked by paired Tuscan pilasters. Other bays are blind to the ground floor and feature large semi-circular headed first-floor sashes with small panes and radial glazing to the heads, set in pilastered surrounds within semi-circular headed recesses with radiating voussoirs. An entablature projects over the pilasters. A blocking course with stepped panelled parapets sits over bays 2 and 6. The east elevation is similar but has a basement at its north end and one sash fewer to the centre. Both elevations have hipped slate roofs.

Fish Market

The fish market features a 19-bay pilastrade to its main elevation with entablature and blocking course; most openings now have glazing to the top.

Interior

The 1847 hall interior contains cast-iron columns with foliage capitals supporting pierced beams and thin iron trusses. The former corn exchange interior is very elaborate. On three sides runs a gallery supported on round-arched arcades with alternating plain and panelled pilasters between the arches. The side galleries have paired iron columns with foliage capitals supporting round arches of pierced ironwork with sumptuous spandrel decoration, covered by an iron cornice with similar-style pierced coping above. The roof comprises semi-circular iron trusses with decorative bracing and a large central ridge light supported on foliage trusses. The south end features a raised platform within a full-height basket-arched niche with a ribbed and panelled dome and panelled and pilastered sides. The north end has a six-bay arcade of round arches, above which are three stepped semi-circular windows with pilastered surrounds; the central window is wider with a central roundel over paired semi-circular lights.