The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-12-24 00:00:00

Vistriet Seim

THE NEW CORN EXCHANGE,
DORCHESTER.

The new Corn Hudosage, provided by the town of
Dorchester, for thesesommodatiou of the agnsultariale
et the dispose, baying at Imerth arrived at completion,
VII forum* opined es Tuesday lad.
Bohn prOOMPaiag to speak of that *swot, it may he
keorimiejeg to trees the rho and progress of the mew
Woe*, sad lima take a ghats at it se elands. At
um, eeteet this siogalar fad melees es. The mastitis
wheel' resulted in the present Cora liashaage being
reword, had for its object primate, the providing if
satiable offices for the truism:Mos of the badness of dm
borough, via, • Jcistioadiall, a manimitut room, and
so forth, vs* we are no better off In these raspecte now,
after .spending £2,500, than we mere in the year 1861
Is June of year the Conseil resolved to set apart
the monies ressived for the renewal 0i15..., to sleet
that purpose, health* financial exigeades of the borough
ever prevented its being don.: indeed, the state of
thugs leas been worse than that, for net only have the
whole of the receipts been exhausted, bat piece by Mese
it. Corporation property hoe hoes mortgaged, and now
111*1. if anything, rand= inked but the Comity Hall.
During the time so mod desire was manifested for I
providing the *Moss we have indioated, a feeling of
dimatidastion with the old gloolly Corn Exchange was I
arising. It we. complained that badness could not he
transacted there properly, because there waa no Yenisei
light. The Council reeoguhed the objection, and epee
Mmplated meeting it when carry* oat the other work I
to which they had set themselves. It 1864 the questkm
of an improved Corn lixelmogs had biome so mush • I
part of the Colman programme, that Kr. Alderman
Unser cosesived • design, whild he had prepared busked
architect, and laid before them. At a soot of 000, it
was proposed to provide a Coro Exchange, at the rear
of the Gitildball, 50 feet by 30 lest, which should have
• vertical light, and furnish all the accommodation
required la • men market With inch a building Mr.
Alderreas Earn intimated that the reveous arising to
wes4l eis doubled, end doe without
.hSog. say his 1 for admission, Throughout
that year and the seat the =Weel was
dialogued to satiety in tb• Cowen Chamber,
and at length it was resolved to invite designs. Eight
were sent tn. Through some misapprehension • revised
plan of Mr. Eames, which had been brought before the
emote', and proposed to provide the rooms originally
contemplated. as well as a new Corn Exchange, for
£l,OOO, was omitted. The choirse fell upon the design of
Mr. Henry Hall, of 15, Duke-street, Adelphi,
sad steps ewe then takes to erect a building
amotding to that plea. Several members of the
Conseil resolutely opposed so expensive a coheres,
agiguthig all sorts of unpleasant things as one to malt
—a borough rate amongst the number, but a majority
of were in favour the building sketched by Mr. ll.
On the 10th of October, 1865, the Wheat* of Messrs.
Wellspring and Soo, £2,135, was socepted. The only
other tender was from the late Mr. Woodsy, and
amounted to £2,180. On the 23rd of that month then
was • Conseil meeting for the dining of the contract,
when a last stand was made by the party opposed to
rush • great expenditure. Mr. Coeneillor Andrew*
moved, and Kr. Alderman Ewer seconded, • mollies
for upsetting the scheme, on the ground that it was not
intended to carry out the original purpose, and balsam
the course entered upon would entail a borough rate.
This, however, fell to the ground, after an animated
debate, in the sours, of which the supporters of Mr.
Hall's plan insisted with marked iteration that the
matter of providing • initial hall, • munknent roes,
and other aloes, was only postponed, while Mr.
Andrews condemned the whole proesediag as being
impolitic, ermine the state of the borough loaner., for
of late yeene the current expenditure was always more '
thaw the current income, and within • period of 15
years no less than £lO,OOO of town property had be..
disposed of In fee. Here ended all pro:Heal opposithes
to the affair. On the tat of January, 1866, • memorial
to the Lords of the Treasury for leave to raise 22,500
by mortgage of the Guildhall and market premises wee
approved, and no the sth of February the borough seal
was affixed to the petition. The works of the new
Corn E &change oommeneed in earnest at the beginniuget
1867, bet venous circumstances tended to retard their
prooress. The exchange of a small piece of land with
Mr. Toner, to make the room more shepely, oceupied so
unoseseionably long time, owing to the red-tapeism iii
the Government departineuta whose mutation weli or
.4oired. Another delay ceoeurred throngh a modilleatios
ef the original plan, whereby the unsightliness
.f a pillar in the middle of the room, to support the
I Chamber, was obviated. The re-arrangement
of the markets, effecting a vast improvement, was
completed by Christmas 1866, and the whole of the
arrangmesta have been found most commodious and
satiafactory. T iroughout the year now closing the
Corr &change has been in progress, though oftentimes
very steadily, and the only thing =earring to mar the
general sati.faction in the matter oas the death of a
workman, through the falling of some scalfolding.
There have been many variations from the origin.'
deals], and men have been eneplov ed upon the works. until
within the last few days. We may now, however, I
consider it out of the builder.' hands, and of their works
manseip we can oely say that it appears to be well and
honestly done throughout.
The new Corn Exchange stands behind the Guilds
hall. In designing the exterior the erobitect had, 01
course, to imitate as nearly as might be the character el
the building to which the new hell is an appendage.
It is, therefore, built of brick, of • similar colour,
with Bath stone dressings. Four mesaiee buttress..
support the principals of the roof; and the outer
wall terminates in • parapet. The upper part
of each of the buttresses is relieved by serving.
Between the buttresses slabs of slate hive been fixed,
with • roof above of corrugated iron, thus providing a
fish matket for the borough. There are three entrances
to the Coro Exchange. It may be approached from the
ol !Corn &change, from the usual entrance to the
Guildhall, and from the northern end of the building,
handsome folding doors, with plate glass panels, being
provided at each place. The interior of the ball torments
very elegant appearance. It is 80 feet in length and
40 feet in width, and the height from the floor to the
summit of the arched roof is 40 feet. The semicireuler
rof is the great feature in the building.
It is suppotted by five ribs of iron, encased in
wood, peeing on corbels of Cosham stone, carved
litu imitarile devisees. The span of the roof bee a
radixo of upwards of 15 feet, and longitudinally it is
divided into seven compsnments, the centre one form- I
ire a lantern light the whole length of the roof, and
the others being composed alternately of patent rolled
glass and wood panel., stained and varnished. In addition
to the light thus afforlei, there are four Naar...beaded
• Ind.., on each ado of good dimensious. The beads
of the windows are suppvrted by Lon columns with
root beset and carved capitals, while .1v spandiels sea
filled in with plaster enrichments. These lights are
plead at the summit ef the walls, so that the whole of
the lighting of the Exchange comes from the meet part
a the building, and is, for the tomtits' purl ogee for
which it is there required, vertiosL The cornice is of
stained deal, pierced with ornamental smolt-work. and I
whilst imparting • beauty corresponding with the net
of the roof, fulfils the additional purpoee of ventilating
the room, through appliances inserted in the roof.
The spandrels of the principal ribs are perforated
to mach this ornamentation, and than cue
uniformity to the decoration of the roof. The pillars
supporting the large tem girder at the smith end of the
room eensin of 'massive iron emblems with elegantly
creel menet. of Crisham stone and bases of the same
material. Vine and 'ivy lama, skilfully intermingled
with dusters of wheat .are, and figures of birds and
animals in relief, form the basis of this ornamentation,
aril the thinner in ashlar it has been treated, reflect,
great credit on the Career, of Mr. It, Grimsby, of Dor.
abetter. The northern end of the room ii apsidal, and
a forint eve sides of an octagon, at each angle of which is
principal supporting the roof. Here an orebeetra has
hen I riveted, about eleven feet from the floor, bounded
by • rail of polished oak, supported by iron needled/,
between which there is placed ornam ironswerk,
picked out with green and gold. This orchestra is
lighted by means of • lantern alry.limbe It having
b. en pointed out by the professional men of Dorchester
that there was no retiring-room provided for the use
of those engaged in the eremites on any pews
erosion, the architect devised a plan for making this
proreion by erecting • room aejacent. This
has been done. The apse is separstod from the
main building by a fine moulded arch divided
on the under side into 13 panels. In consequence
of the muting ...poens required by the principal.
of the roof, four memo are made on each
side of the room, woich may b utilisit as reesetaciet
foi corn oohs, or at I,lls, musette, and the like they
will prove convenient for lounges. The lighting of the
room is most complete, oomprising in all, about 22.1
jet,. There are 13 star-lights depending from the roof,
sail around the walls are elegant corona on ornamental
lockets. The room is heated by one of Hayden's
patent hot sir apparatus. The floor is peculiarly
suitable to a Coro &Change. It is laid witboat joists,
similar to the door at the lost International Exhibitioo
In London, and dm without nails, and is 2a inches in
thickness,

A. • Corn Exchange the room is one of the
matt—Perham we may say the most commodious
and elegant in the county, and we believe it is aa
good mi any in the south or west of England. A
mod. r Wig has been arranged by the Council, appli.
cable to ni,chanta, farmers, and others attending the
corn merket. and from this more, • tolerable income is
to be ezpeetret. while the new system of charging el—
fee hitherto sely ~teee.holder• have paid anything—
will have the merit of being equitable, for it will be fair
slake to the corn dicier, and to the ratepayer% of Dor.
Chester, who he. 6 ?ovoid this handsome building for
their accommodation, and we may anticipate that those
who nae it will appro.'s% it all th• better because the/
have to pay for it, for. we all know that that which is
obtained for nothing is little velum! is to the other
pup,.., for which it WU be amid, we don't think it
wil he particularly valuable as an investment For •
hall, the orehestra is peculiarly siapt.i, but the diet...e
of the Guildhall room, from Ms Corn &clangs will
prove i.neenieet, and wif are rather disposed
to think that the Guildhall will be teeeray
preferred even for • ball. An firdinary eem.
eert cannot be given in the building. unless •
platform four or five feet high be provided for
the performers instead of the permanent orchestra"
for that is 'atilt too high for each • purpme. But If •
trenporery platform be provided, not only will an eu.
pens* he incurrel, but the acoustic advantages to be
derived ham the apsidal fortnotioo at the northern end
will be lost. The wiser plan would therefore seem to be
to lower the orehestre to aueh • height that it would be
available for all the ordinary purposed for which a large
room I. required in this town. The projeetion of the
Connell Chamber over a portion of the &change:um
to sometimes,. the harmony and beauty of the room,
but it is b•ppily at • somichomble height, and is sot so
unsightly as might hams been 'guested It seems
requiaite, however, to ob.iate the blank tanartghtlisme
of the kris tymp.onea the end of the Council Chamber
pretents to view, by a 'nom painting, the Dorshestm
Arnis, or some other ousbelhaliment The queatics of
espouse, however, will meet itself ham aau ont nay
perhaps venture to impose that Me Council will hardly
he dispowed for the prompt to luau any atm =pima ht
I alattoe of pun ornaatontatioa.

Having got the Oars lisehanin •••
_h•• •
matter of ribmunien how the building amid be in-
aalurated. A Mawr at este suipreated itself as the
legitimate mode of emadiacitbig inch • proceeding, and the
presidents of all the emustry round were appealed to is
support of that view of the ease. The comma of the
soiree rd last year, and it may be, wine little gallantry
too, bd to the seiggestioe of • meeting of that oberaMer
also, so that the ladies and Oben not oaring for palls
dinners, might partisipate in the opening fettietties.
A eliztuninie comprideg events of that was
upon, sod • aorentiMes was fortiori emaciating of
aminben of the Coupon, sod • number of pedestal
Interested In the matter either sa residents of the town
or mrrionituriata atteoding the market When their
polluinary arrangements were made for the selebratiou
early in November, and the sebieet came up for discus-
sion by the Council, the whole project was set amid. for
Wm time being, on the ground of the dampness of the
building and it. iscomplete state. There appeared at
sae time to b.c fee, that the question of • iterrmonial
copra's' would be altopthiir abandoned, for not Only
did this deity somewhat disconcert the organising cote-
atittee. hat • hitch marred in the selection of the
Chairman for the opening dinner. At length, however,
ail these things settled down, sod the whole Counal
baying been incorporated into the committee, the
arrangements were pushed forward harmoniously. At
the last orating of the Council, on Die. 4, it anis
' i
that the dinner should be held on Tuesday, Dut.fftpd
h,
and a wrist take place on the following Thornier. The
two committees then started themselves vigorously to
bring theme undertithip So I atocadid haw