Building record 3980/4/2 - Rothwell Market House

Market house built in 1577-78. Used as local government office and library in 1895 and restored in 1913.

{1} Market House, 1578. Built to the designs of William Grumbold for Sir Thomas Tresham. Completed for use as Council Chambers and Library, 1895, by J A Gotch, and restored 1913. Limestone ashlar with lead roof. Chamfered plinth, moulded sill band, first floor band with Latin inscription, parapet with frieze of sheilds. Pilasters in 2 orders, decorated with trefoils and heraldic devices. Single side wall stack. 2 storeys, the ground floor orginally open. Rectangular plan with a 2-storey projecting from the centre of each side, and a round stair turret at the south east corner. North front has a central doorway with fanlight and above it, tablet inscribed "Urban Council Chamber". Above again, a clock. On either side a round headed opening with C20 3-light wood mullioned and transomed windows. Above, 2 C16 4-light mullioned leaded casements. Similar south side has above the blocked doorway a crest and above it a blank lozenge. On either side, round headed openings, that to left bl that to right glazed. Above, a 4-light and a 3-light mullioned window. The stair turret has, above, a 3-light and a 2-light mullioned window. East side has a round headed opening to the right with a part-glazed C20 infilling panel and a 4-centred arched door. Above, a 4-light mullioned window. West side has a cnetral round headed opening with a 3-light mullioned and transomed window. Over it, a square blank panel. Above, a 4-light mullioned window.

{2} Market house built 1578 to the designs of W. Grumbold for Sir T. Tresham. Restored 1913. Completed for use as Council Chambers and Library in 1895.

{5} Scheme in 1878 for the refurbishment of the makret hall failed due to the agricultural depression. 1887 a public meeting was held to put forward ideas about repairs (by voluntary means). Scheme abandoned. At this time the intention is for the Local Board to adopt the Free Libraries Act for the town and to the restore the hall out of public funds. The ground floor to be used as offices and the rest to be used as a library.

{6} Money provided for improvements to the Market Hall. In 1896 it opened up as a Free Library.

{7} Market House, Rothwell bought by Rothwell Preservation Trust in 1895. The walls of the building were constructed (1577) to a design by Sir Thomas Tresham, but the structure was left as a shell for more than 300 years.

{8} Post medieval market hall was descheduled in 1988;

{10} Market House
The Market House designed and partially built by Sir Thomas Tresham in the 16th century was finally completed in the 19th century. An inital scheme for refurbishment in 1878 failed due to the agricultural depression and a later (voluntary) scheme in 1887 was also abandoned. In 1895 money was provided by the Local Board to restore the building. The ground floor was converted to offices and the rest of the building became a Free Library. The building was finished by the architect J.A. Gotch and was further restored in 1913. The building is a grade one listed structure. Film 3, photo 1,3,
Urban Council Offices
Rothwell Urban District Council established their offices in the newly re-furbished Market House in 1896. The words 'Urban Council Offices' are engraved in stone in the lower part of the building.

{11} There is no evidence as to the existence or location of a medieval market house or court house on the market place, though one almost certainly will have existed. There is however reference in 1607 to a tenement or cottage which was formerly called the Court House, though its location has not been established. In the 1580s a new market house was commissioned by Sir Thomas Tresham. The market house, which still survives, is one of the celebrated collection of eccentric buildings Sir Thomas constructed on his Northamptonshire estates in the later 16th century, which included the Triangular Lodge at Rushton and Lyveden New Beild. The building was started shortly after 1587 but, as with Tresham's Lyveden New Beild, the market house was never completed and it still lay as a ruined state in 1719 when drawn by Tillemans. In the late 19th century it is recorded that the main use of the ruined building had for a long time been primarily as a lock up, while the stocks and whipping post had stood immediately adjacent.

{14} Four undated photos, one photo dated 1908, two photos dated 01.03.1994, and five photos dated November 1976;

{15} The building of the Market House, at Rothwell, was started about 1577 by Sir Thomas Tresham. It remained incomplete until 1895, when it was roofed

{16} The building is now in use as a public library and reading room. See photo

{17} Scheduled.

{18} Descheduled.

{20} Engravings, proposal for completion as offices and reading room dated 1887;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 9/78 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1976, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), H13 p.51 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN100754.

<3> , 1900, Ordnance Survey 25 Inch Map Series, (checked) (Map). SNN55983.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1880, First Edition Ordnance Survey 25 Inch Mapping Series (24.08), (checked) (Map). SNN55941.

<5> 1894, Kelly's Directory (1894), (checked) (Trade Directory). SNN39742.

<6> 1924, Kelly's Directory (1924), (checked) (Trade Directory). SNN39644.

<7> 1995, Untitled Source, (unchecked) (Newspaper cuttings). SNN39659.

<8> 1988, Untitled Source, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN44721.

<9> , 1926, MAP, (checked) (Map). SNN59166.

<10> Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Rothwell (Industrial), (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100256.

<11> Foard G, 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Rothwell (Medieval and Post Medieval), (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100514.

<12> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.56 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<13> Gotch J.A., 1883, The Buildings of Sir Thomas Tresham, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN104797.

<14> Photographs of buildings in Rothwell (Photographs). SNN113168.

<15> PEVSNER N., 1961, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, Page 392-3 (Series). SNN113374.

<16> Seaman, BH, 1969, Field investigators comments, F1 BHS 12-AUG-1969 (Notes). SNN111907.

<17> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(IAM) Anc Mons Eng 3 1978 75 (Report). SNN112993.

<18> English Heritage, English Heritage Scheduling Notification, Eng Heritage Record Form Plan 18-JAN-1988 (Report). SNN114848.

<19> Market House, Rothwell, BF085101 (Archive). SNN116317.

<20> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/232/5,15,16 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Dec 16 2024 11:41AM