Ah, you've made it to the Corn Exchange-fantastic! Look for a striking red brick building with notable stone dressings to pinpoint it. This architectural gem stands proudly with its symmetrical five-bay frontage facing Thurland Street. The outer bays slightly project forward, making it quite noticeable, and you’ll see round-headed openings with archivolts and voussoirs on the ground floor.
Now, let's dive into its history. Until the mid-19th century, corn merchants in Nottingham were trading in the northwest corner of the Nottingham Exchange. Keen to establish a dedicated space, a group of local businessmen formed the "Nottingham Corn Exchange Company" in the 1840s and set their sights on a spot once occupied by Thurland Hall, which, coincidentally, dated back to 1458. Thanks to Henry Pelham-Clinton, aka the 4th Duke of Newcastle, they secured the land and commissioned Thomas Chambers Hine to design the Corn Exchange in the Italianate style.
Don’t you love a good design detail? This beauty, built at the cost of £3,000, opened on April 6, 1850. Its central sections boast three bays with arched openings and fancy cross windows with architraves. The outer bays flaunt mullioned casement windows and, of course, the entire structure is topped with a terracotta frieze, a modillioned cornice, and a parapet at roof level.
Inside, the main hall was impressively spacious, spanning 77 feet long and 55 feet wide. Over the years, the Corn Exchange evolved from a hub for corn merchants to a vibrant public events venue. It hosted events such as the annual exhibition of the Nottingham Society of Artists and the Thirtieth Annual Conference of the Independent Labour Party in 1922.
Throughout the 20th century, it transformed into a concert venue known as the "Clinton Rooms", a nod to the Pelham-Clinton family. This venue welcomed performers, including the avant-pop group Stereolab in 1996. Later, it shifted gears to become O'Reilly's, a public house with an Irish twist, Jongleurs Comedy Club in 2010, and currently, it's the Roxy Ball Room, a dance venue with an indoor sports theme since 2017.
So, whether you're here for the history or today's events, the Corn Exchange stands as a testament to Nottingham's vibrant and ever-changing cultural scene!
