algy Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 c1860. Demolishing the Old Court House built in 1614 which also housed the Town Jail, to make way for the new Market Hall. Stones from Warrington Friary had been used to build the supporting columns at the entrance of the Court House. An early print of the Old Market Square. The Old Market Place gas lamp as featured in the previous print and on the following map of 1851 resembling a gear wheel or 'cog' between the words 'MARKET & PLACE'. The wall of the Olde Barley Mow can just be seen to the right of the lower part of the lamp base . 1851 map of the Old Market Place. c1900. Market Street, The Cattle Market Pub on the right behind the gas lamp, by the junction with Peter street. Another view of a busy Market Street. 1904. June 16th. Market Gate looking down Sankey Street from Buttermarket Street. A crowd gathered at Market gate at the entrance to Horsemarket Street awaiting the arrival of King Edward VII. 1924. Market Gate on a rainy day. c1930. A barrel organ player outside the RoyalExchange in Golden Square in the old Market Place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Bennett Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Did they really knock down a 17th Century jail to build the new market?! So sad. The pram parked outside The Royal Exchange made me smile though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted April 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Did they really knock down a 17th Century jail to build the new market?! So sad. The pram parked outside The Royal Exchange made me smile though. Certainly did! Tracey, I suppose after more than 200 years the town had outgrown the Court and Jail capacity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Thanks for the photo's Algy. The early print of the old market square is 'Warrington Market Place 1843 - from an engraving by T Dixon' I have a very old print of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sha Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 Algy, I've just looked at the previous pic you posted of the Barley Mow 1870, how different they are - yet only 22 years between them!! The difference between a 'reliable' and a 'romantic' depiction perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Bennett Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 I did a landscape history course in Norwich a few years ago. Our tutor told us 'preservation is a sign of poverty', ie whenever towns are rich enough they sweep away the old and build the new. Buildings we find picturesque now at one point were just a bit old fashioned and grubby and seen as an embarassment. When money was available, they'd re-build in the latest style. This is why we still have so many beautiful old buildings in East Anglia, by the time of the industrial revolution all the money had left the sheep farming here and gone to heavy industry in the north west and not many could afford to re-build. The Victorians also strike me as an arrogant lot, they were unshakable in their belief they were doing they right thing. I can't imagine they thought for a second that a 17th Century building could be more important or interesting than their new market. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted April 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 I did a landscape history course in Norwich a few years ago. Our tutor told us 'preservation is a sign of poverty', ie whenever towns are rich enough they sweep away the old and build the new. Buildings we find picturesque now at one point were just a bit old fashioned and grubby and seen as an embarassment. When money was available, they'd re-build in the latest style. This is why we still have so many beautiful old buildings in East Anglia, by the time of the industrial revolution all the money had left the sheep farming here and gone to heavy industry in the north west and not many could afford to re-build. The Victorians also strike me as an arrogant lot, they were unshakable in their belief they were doing they right thing. I can't imagine they thought for a second that a 17th Century building could be more important or interesting than their new market. Good logical thinking Tracey, on reflection I suppose it is a process of being there at the time and seeing it as it really is, as you stated the Victorians saw squalid poorly constructed buildings in need of expensive repair so why would they throw money at slums. My wife always yearned to live in a half timbered country cottage, two years ago we viewed one outside Nantwich on the Woore road, when we came out she had completely changed her mind, small windows, poorly lit rooms, uneven floors, our beds etc. could not have been got into the bedrooms and so on, she has mentioned viewing one since. Most of these old properties are best seen from the outside where they project a chocolate box image, totally different inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracey Bennett Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 True enough, they're also very cold and drafty. One of my friends lives in a beautiful thatched cottage. Originally it was a single cell one up one down building with an overall footprint of about 5 x 5 metres. She did some research into it's history and found it was originally home to a family with 6 children! Also the number of thatch fires on the local news here puts me off older properties. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RingoDave Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 Speaking from recent experience, I can see both sides of the case. I loved living in the Ring O' Bells, but we had to get used to windows freezing up occasionally, draughts most of the time, upstairs floors more like ploughed fields and one bedroom where you couldn't put anything remotely circular down lest it roll to the door! This was a building which had been kept reasonably up-to-date until Greenalls sold it on! On the other hand, I would hate to see any major changes to its structure or looks as it has so much character. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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