Corn Exchange, Romsey

In the early 1860s, a group of local businessmen decided to form a private company, known as the "Romsey Corn Exchange Company", to finance and commission a purpose-built corn exchange for the town.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=uwkTAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA18-PA23 |title=Return by the Registrar of Joint Stock Companies |page=23|date=20 July 1866|publisher=House of Commons| access-date=18 June 2023}} The site they selected was a prominent position at the top of The Hundred in a position lying close to the main Market Place.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=TCMOAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA215 |title= Kelly's directory of Hampshire, Dorsetshire, Wiltshire (the Isle of Wight, and the Channel Islands) |page=215|year=1880 |last1= Kelly's Directories |first1= ltd }}

The building was designed in the neoclassical style, built in brick with a stucco finish and was completed in 1864.{{cite web|url= https://www.testvalley.gov.uk/assets/attach/11666/Romsey-Conservation-Area-Appraisal-and-Management-Plan-December-2020.pdf |title= Romsey Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan |date=1 December 2020|publisher=Test Valley Council|page=105| access-date=18 June 2023}} The design involved a symmetrical main frontage of three bays facing onto the Corn Market. The central bay originally featured a tall segmental headed doorway with an architrave and a keystone, while the outer bays were fenestrated by tall round headed windows with architraves and keystones. The bays were separated by full-height Corinthian order pilasters supporting an entablature, a cornice and a modillioned pediment containing carvings of gilded sheaves, a pitchfork and a sickle in the tympanum.{{cite web|url= https://www.francisfrith.com/uk/romsey/romsey-corn-exchange-1903_49338 |title= Romsey, Corn Exchange|year= 1903|publisher=The Francis Frith Collection| access-date=18 June 2023}}

The building also became the main public events venue for the town: early visitors included the Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, who have a speech about education to the Romsey Labourers' Encouragement Association in January 1865.{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=SLGkLTJMoP8C&pg=PA3 |title=Speech of Lord Palmerston at the Romsey Labourer's Encouragement Association|date=4 January 1865|publisher=Thomas Murby|location=London}} His step-son, William Cowper-Temple, 1st Baron Mount Temple, whose seat was at Broadlands, paid for a drinking fountain, which was placed outside the building in 1886.{{cite web|url=https://www.visit-hampshire.co.uk/downloads/dmsimgs/34XX_Romsey_Heritage_Trail_Leaflet_Web_335664433.pdf|title=Romsey Heritage Trail|publisher=Visit Hampshire|access-date=18 June 2023}}

The use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=obn5AQAAQBAJ|first=T. W. |last=Fletcher|title= 'The Great Depression of English Agriculture 1873-1896' in British Agriculture 1875-1914 |location=London|publisher= Methuen|year= 1973|isbn=978-1136581182|page= 31}} Instead, it operated as the "Corn Exchange Cinema" from the early 20th century{{cite web|url=https://cinematreasures.org/theaters/43633 |title=Corn Exchange Cinema|publisher=Cinema Treasures| access-date=18 June 2023}} until the First World War, when it became a drill hall for a detachment from C Squadron of the Hampshire Yeomanry and for C Company of the 4th Battalion the Hampshire Regiment.{{cite web|url= https://www.drillhalls.org/Counties/Hampshire/TownRomsey.html |title=Romsey|publisher=The Drill Hall Project| access-date=18 June 2023}}

The building was remodelled during the 1920s to introduce an upper floor: the changes involved a squatter doorway and a new French door with a balcony above the doorway in the central bay, and new tri-partite windows on both floors in the outer bays. Tenants introduced at that time included a branch of Barclays and a grocery business, Hook Brothers.{{cite web|url= https://www.francisfrith.com/uk/romsey/romsey-old-corn-exchange-1932_85040/buy |title= Romsey, Corn Exchange|year= 1932|publisher=The Francis Frith Collection| access-date=18 June 2023}} The balcony above the doorway was removed from the front of the building in the 1950s.{{cite web|url= https://www.stratlandestates.co.uk/the-old-corn-exchange/ |title=The Old Corn Exchange |publisher=Stratland Estates| access-date=18 June 2023}} Hook Brothers moved out when Barclays took over the whole building in the 1960s.{{cite web|url= https://www.francisfrith.com/romsey/romsey-the-corn-market-c1955_r53011|title= Romsey, Corn Exchange|year= 1955|publisher=The Francis Frith Collection| access-date=18 June 2023}} The building became vacant when Barclays closed the branch in December 2022.{{cite news|url= https://www.hampshirelive.news/news/hampshire-news/barclays-closing-romsey-branch-promises-7582325|title= Barclays closing Romsey branch - but promises 'active presence' in Hampshire town moving forward|date=14 September 2022|newspaper=Hampshire Chronicle| access-date=18 June 2023}}

• Corn exchanges in England
• Grade II* listed buildings in Test Valley

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Category:Commercial buildings completed in 1864

Category:Romsey

Category:Grade II* listed buildings in Hampshire

Romsey