Corn Hall Buildings

CIRENCESTER

SP0202 MARKET PLACE 578-1/4/237 (South side) 23/07/71 No.26 Corn Hall Buildings

GV II

Corn Hall, now offices and exhibition hall. 1862. By Medland, Maberly and Medland. Limestone ashlar; parapeted roof, roof covering not visible; ashlar right-end stack with moulded top. 3 storeys and cellar; 5-window range. First floor has five 2/2-pane horned sashes in moulded stone surrounds with pilasters to left and right with carved lead capitals, round-headed architraves over with keystones in the form of carved heads enclose carved panels symbolising music, trade, agriculture and the arts with a phoenix over centre window; carvings said to be by Forsyth. Second floor has 5 similar sashes with segmental heads in shouldered architraves with keystones. Ground floor has 4 plate glass triple sashes with segmental heads divided by timber mullions, with architraves with waterleaf enrichment to outer moulding and keystones in the form of carved heads forming hoods over windows and springing from squat pilasters with leaf capitals as applied arcade to ground floor of building. To centre, similar triple pilasters support stone hood on carved console brackets and with carved decoration in spandrels of segmental opening with moulded stone architrave; opening has pair of elaborate cast- and wrought-iron gates with decoration including corn sheaves. 4 openings to cellar below ground floor windows are in plinth with moulded top; frieze over ground floor; moulded cill band to first floor breaking forward to form hood of doorcase to centre, with wrought-iron balconette with corn sheaf decoration to first floor centre window; moulded cill band to second floor windows; guilloche frieze; modillion eaves cornice; balustraded parapet with 6 dies. Hall attached to rear in coursed squared limestone; Welsh slate roof with coped verges. 6 bays with offset buttresses, plain unfenestrated walls, blocked oculus in gable wall towards Market Place, remains of brick stack in one bay to north-west. South-east side has two pairs of double doors, one pair in arched opening with flush voussoirs and blocked tympanum; this side accessible from West Way but building otherwise largely enclosed and surrounded by adjacent King's Head Hotel (qv). INTERIOR of hall has exposed rubble walls above moulded timber dado rail; mid C19 architraves; C20 wood strip floor, timber panelling to end wall and suspended ceiling concealing original 6-bay roof above original cornice; roof structure of elliptical form with timber ribs, continuous central clerestory and cast-iron openwork infill to apex of trusses. Angled corridor from Market Place entrance has one elliptical arch on heavy moulded console brackets; interior of front range not inspected. (The Buildings of England: Verey D: Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds: London: 1970-: P.172; List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: 1971-: P.95).

Listing NGR: SP0237502018