Details
CREWKERNE
ST4409 MARKET SQUARE
876-1/7/107 Victoria Hall
06/09/74
GV II
Market hall. Probably rebuilt 1742, altered 1836, remodelled
1900 by Thomas Benson of Yeovil to create shops and offices.
MATERIALS: coursed limestone rubble with Ham Hill stone
dressings, slate roof with various stone stacks.
PLAN: rectangular plan with long lower wing to front-right
which tapers toward the rear; originally open on ground floor,
which was infilled in alterations of 1900.
EXTERIOR: the front, facing north, is 2 storeys, 4-window
range. A shouldered gable with finials to sides, has a central
finial above a simulated bell-turret with an engaged pendant
which serves as a keystone to the recessed arch below. This
arch, and 2 smaller ones to the sides, rest on 4, engaged,
Romanesque-style columns, which in turn rest on corbels
interrupting a string course at first-floor level. In the
large central arch are three C20 round-arched windows, a
taller one to the centre, with a roundel above it and a stone
platform, formerly with a balustrade, on brackets below it.
The ground-floor has 2 shops; the windows to the centre, and
doors to the sides are articulated by Tuscan-style pilasters
supporting a cornice.
The lower wing to the right, has a wide, round-arched doorcase
with a porch of a shouldered segmental-arch on consoles,
supported by engaged Romanesque-style columns on plinths. A
similar column on the corner to the right of the building, is
connected by a small cornice to the column on the right of the
door. The double, 8-panel doors have a semi-circular overlight
with curved glazing bars and coloured glass. Above this is an
altered 2-light casement. The building is on a sloping site
and steps which start at the left side increasing to 6 on the
right.
The right return, facing east, is 3 storeys, 6-window range. A
stepped-forward gable to the left, has a stack in the apex,
and moulded kneelers to shouldered coping. The second-floor
has a continuous dripmould below the kneelers, forming arches
with keystones, to 3 recessed panels; the central one is
larger with an incised fan-pattern above paired, vertical,
1/2-pane sashes; those to the sides have vertical 2/4-pane
sashes, all with a string-course at cill-level. The
first-floor of the gabled range has a platband above, and
moulded cill-course below, small, paired, square, 2/2-pane
sashes in eared and shouldered raised surrounds, which flank a
projecting column bearing a plaque on a moulded base above the
cill-course. The ground-floor has tall, paired windows
flanking the column, with floating cornices and chamfered
lintels with carved imposts.
The platband continues across the 2 ranges to the right, the
cill-band only across the centre; the second-floor of the
central range has paired windows, similar to those on the
left, the first-floor has a small oval window in an ornamental
surround to the left, and a quatrefoil plaque to the right,
above double planked doors; paired windows of 3-panes to its
left.
The right-hand range is gabled, with a bell-turret above a
tall, round-arch opening, with various glazing: below that,
slightly left, is a 3-light, round-arch, stone-mullioned
window. The wall cants back to join the rear of the building
with another, plainer, 2-window range.
The left return is 2 storeys, 5-window range; it has a
filled-in arcade of 5, wide, Ham Hill stone ashlar segmental
arches below a platband, with segmental arches to 6/6-pane
sashes with horns above each arch.
The rear is 2 storeys, 2-window range; gabled, with finials to
the shoulders and a stack to the apex; round-arch windows to
the first-floor, segmental to the ground-floor, with a C20
fire escape crossing all.
INTERIOR: the stone staircase is open-well, open-string, with
wrought-iron scrolled balusters and cast-iron newels at the
turns and a wooden newel to the base. The hall on the
first-floor has a tongued-and-grooved barrel-vault-type
ceiling, the trusses of which rest on scrolled stone corbels.
There are Baroque-style fireplaces to the west and north
walls, and double doors with good brass furniture. Otherwise
altered.
HISTORY: the main building, probably rebuilt in 1742, had the
south piazza added in 1836 after the demolition of the
shambles. In 1848-9 it became the museum, reading room and
library (which consisted of about 900 volumes) of the newly
established Literary and Scientific Institute. Extensively
remodelled and the arches filled in by Charles Benson of
Yeovil in 1900 to create the Victoria Hall, shops and offices.
(Buildings of England: Pevsner N: South Somerset: London:
1958-: P.139; Victoria County History: Somerset: London:
1978-: P.23).
Listing NGR: ST4413209833
