Corn Exchange

The Corn Exchange, built in 1859 to designs by Edward Browning, replaced a former 1839 Tudor Gothic style corn exchange. A two storey building with a three-bay facade in local stone and a roof of three quarters ribbed glass, the new Corn Exchange was used for public meetings, shows and entertainment as well as commerce. A fire in 1925 destroyed much of the building except the front, side walls and the cellar. The present structure, dating from 1926, was a partial rather than a total rebuild. The Corn Exchange continued to act as a dance hall and theatre as well as a cinema, a roller skating rink, and an auction room. The building was used as an antiques market until 2000. Two amateur theatrical companies used the venue during this time for their annual productions when tip-up seats obtained from Sheffield Playhouse had to be brought in and screwed to the floor – a changeover that took several days. The auditorium measures 21 metres by nearly 12 meters wide with pilastered side walls, and a slightly arched proscenium with no decoration. The theatre previously had a barrel vaulted ceiling and end balcony, slightly raked stage with flying space but no conventional grid. There was no get-in. The Corn Exchange was bought in 2001 by the newly-formed charitable Corn Exchange Theatre Company. Planning permission was granted in 2003, allowing volunteers to completely restore the building to a full time theatre by 2008. The gabled roof was replaced by a square steel truss. A fly tower was constructed and a lighting grid installed. The balcony was removed to allow a raked auditorium with tip-up seating. The stage was raised behind the original proscenium arch, creating an orchestra pit. The arched pilasters remain. In 2015 the front of the building was refurbished with the stonework being repaired, as well as well as new state-of-the-art sound system being added to the auditorium. A heritage room was opened in 2014, packed with memorabilia of the theatre’s journey and the volunteers who made it happen.