Corn Exchange, Stamford

The Corn Exchange stands in Broad Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire. The building began as a market place after King Edgar granted trading rights in 972. A modest stone covering was added in 1839 by the Rev. Henry de Foe Baker near Browne’s Hospital. In the mid-19th century, local businessmen formed the Stamford Corn Market Company to build a purpose-built exchange. The site had previously held the Black Swan Inn. Edward Browning designed the new Tudor Gothic structure, completed in 1859 by Henry Bradshaw in ashlar stone. The building’s life as a corn exchange faded after the late-19th-century agricultural depression. It briefly became a variety theatre in 1913 before becoming a cinema in the 1920s. A fire in 1925 destroyed the interior, leading to rebuilding behind the original façade by Traylen and Lenton. Later uses included a dance hall, roller rink, auction house and antiques market. In 2001 the Corn Exchange Theatre Company bought it and spent £1 million refurbishing the interior between 2003 and 2008. The façade was restored to its 1859 design in 2015. Visitors now find a modern theatre inside the restored 19th-century shell. The main hall measures 28 metres long and 12 metres wide. The original frontage shows three bays with arched openings, carved panels of a plough and wheatsheaf, and Queen Victoria’s cypher. Inside, raked seating forms a contemporary auditorium. Recent performers have included Shaun Ryder, Katie Hopkins and Jasper Carrott. The street outside remains a busy market area with historic buildings.