Right ahead, you’ll spot the Corn Exchange by its elegant buff brick façade, tall green window frames, and the distinctive stone arches stretching across the building-just glance to your right at the row of stylish shopfronts and you can’t miss it.
Now, pause for a moment and imagine the Market Place here in St Albans back in the 1800s-buzzing with merchants, the air thick with the scent of grain, and farmers shouting deals over the din. Before this grand building stood here, there was just an old open-sided market hall dating all the way back to around 1596. But by the mid-19th century, that wooden hall had become so creaky and ramshackle, folks were worried it might soon host a game of “will the roof cave in?” instead of a proper corn exchange.
The local traders, tired of rain-soaked grain and splinters, demanded a new place-and so, after much debate and a design competition, the Corn Exchange was born. It’s hard to believe it, but the handsome Italianate structure you see now cost just £1,380 to build in 1857-though I’m sure the merchant’s pockets felt lighter at the time! With its symmetrical frontage, Doric pilasters, and a grand plaque crowning the parapet, the building was as bold as the deals being struck inside.
But don’t let those calm stone arches fool you; this place has seen some drama! Just two years after opening, the city council tried to limit trading hours-cue a classic St Albans showdown. Merchants, not keen on official “bedtimes” for business, simply broke into the exchange and gave police a run for their money. I suppose you could call it a case of ‘full-bodied grains versus thin-skinned rules’!
As the years rolled on and farming faltered after the Great Depression of British Agriculture, fewer farmers came, and eventually, the Corn Exchange was repurposed. Over time it turned into a shop, served as a headquarters for the Belgian Refugee Committee during World War One, became a National Kitchen dishing out much-needed meals, and later, the building was split-rather messily-into shop units.
But don’t worry, it’s had a glow-up since then! In the 1990s, restorers lovingly revived the elegant Italianate front, adding new windows and giving the old girl a proud new face. Now, it’s home to a trendy clothing shop and a sparkling jewellery store. If you listen closely, you might just hear echoes of haggling farmers and the ringing laughter from a market day in centuries past. And who knows-maybe those merchants are still sneaking in during off-hours!
