Building record 14338 - The Market Hall, Crewe

<1> English Heritage, 2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Digital Archive). SCH4666.

Formerly a cheese market hall, now used as a general market, 1854 (Pevsner) by Charles Meason, with tower added 1871. Red and yellow bricks, stone dressing and metal and glass north light roof. 3-bay front and 15-bay west return. High stone plinth. Yellow brick pilasters, with channel rustication, form the quoins and divide the three arched openings of the facade. These are now bricked up, apart from a small opening in centre bay and wooden shop front in west bay. A moulded band on corbel table supports segmental centre arch with bucranium keystone and semi-circular flanking arches all rusticated in the Gibbs manner. These are surmounted by a bracketted cornice with matching pediment over centre bay. The pediment is flanked by stone coped brick parapet wall, divided into panels by brick pilasters, and surmounted by a red brick clock tower with yellow brick quoins and sunken bands every four courses. Round headed windows to all faces, slate mansard roof with clock faces, in elaborate stone surrounds, and iron cresting to top of roof. West return has large bays to ends and centre and twelve smaller bays between. Similar features to front but with open pediment at centre. Interior of little interest.

<2> Purcell, 2018, Crewe Market Hall: Historic Building Record, R4231 (Client Report). SCH8563.

A level 3 historic building record, including measured survey and photographic recording, was compiled in August 2018 for Crewe Market Hall, Earle Street, prior to proposed refurbishment.

Crewe grew rapidly within the nineteenth century and map evidence suggests that the Market Hall was constructed within open fields. This building is of high historic significance as the earliest extant civic structure in the town, it demonstrates the ambitions of the fledgling railway town. Driven by the founding of the Cheese and Agricultural Society, it demonstrates early efforts to diversify industry in the town and improve labour prospects. It is also significant in that rail tracks were laid into the building to export goods, demonstrating the town’s links with the railway.

Modern Crewe’s history is tied up with the development of the railway. In 1832, the Grand Junction Railway Company was established to connect the existing Liverpool and Manchester Railway with the projected London and Birmingham Railway. The Grand Junction Railway then absorbed the Chester and Crewe Railway shortly before it opened in 1840. The larger company chose to take advantage of the new junction and relocate its locomotive works to Crewe. In 1845-1846 the GJR merged with the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway, and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway, to form the London and North Western Railway. The relocation of their respective locomotive works to Crewe, the production of wrought iron and rails on the site from 1853, and the manufacture of steel from 1864 along with brickworks, led to a population explosion. By 1865, the population of Crewe was over 12,000.

No original architect’s plans were found in a search of the archives. It is known that the National Archives hold minutes and records of the London and North Western Railway and that minutes from 1852 may relate to initial discussions to build a market hall. Those from 1854 could contain information about the rail lines that were laid into the hall. There is also a possibility that any changes made to the fabric of the Market Hall are recorded in the minutes of the Crewe Local Board who purchased the site in the 1860s.

The Market Hall follows a pattern of market building taking place through the mid–late nineteenth century. Constructed in Italianate style, the use of red and yellow bricks with stone dressings is well executed and appealing. It is not particularly innovative in form or architecture in a national context, or indeed very complete, given the loss of the original roof structure, doors, and clerestory windows. However, the general architectural form of the Hall is of some significance. The configuration and retention in-situ of the Shambles and Market Hall office, and the presence of the original clock, adds to this significance, as does the presence of the arched opening through which the rail track formerly ran.