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Cornmarket Street

December 07, 2023

Cornmarket Street (colloquially referred to as Cornmarket or historically The Corn) is a major shopping street and pedestrian precinct in Oxford, England that runs north to south between Magdalen Street and Carfax Tower.[1][2]

Cornmarket Street
Cornmarket
Cornmarket Street in 2007
Location in Oxford
Location in Oxfordshire
Former name(s)The Corn
LocationOxford, England
Coordinates51°45′11″N 1°15′30″W / 51.7530°N 1.2584°W / 51.7530; -1.2584
North endGeorge Street
Major
junctions		Golden Cross, Clarendon Shopping Centre
South endCarfax Tower
Other
Known forShopping
StatusPedestrian precinct

To the east is the Golden Cross arcade of small jewellery and craft shops in a courtyard, leading to the Covered Market. To the west is the indoor Clarendon Shopping Centre that connects in an L-shape to Queen Street.

Cornmarket was semi-pedestrianised and made a limited-access street in 1999. Cycling is allowed 6pm to 10am. In 2002, it was voted Britain's second worst street in a poll of listeners to the Today programme.[3] The rating was largely due to a failed attempt to repave the street in 2001. The granite setts, which had been laid extensively, cracked and the contractor went into liquidation. In 2003, it was repaved again and new benches installed, amidst reports of budgetary problems.

History of shops edit

 
26–27 Cornmarket Street, a 14th century building, former location of Zac's, and now a Pret a Manger sandwich shop[4]

26–28 Cornmarket on the corner of Ship Street is a 14th-century timber-framed building.[5] It is the surviving half of a building completed in about 1386 as the New Inn.[5] It belongs to Jesus College and was investigated and restored in 1983.[6]

Boswells of Oxford established what was the largest department store in Oxford at 50 Cornmarket Street in 1738. In 1928, the shop opened a new main entrance on Broad Street, but it still retained an entrance on Cornmarket Street. The store closed in 2020

The Victorian photographer Henry Taunt set up a shop at 33 Cornmarket Street in 1869. It was a small shop and in 1874 he moved to larger premises in Broad Street.

Zac's was a waterproof clothing manufacturing and retail firm based at 26–27 Cornmarket, established in the 1880s and closed in 1983.[7][2]

Woolworth's bought the Clarendon Hotel on the west side of the street in 1939 with the intention of demolishing it for the construction of a new store on the site.[8] In earlier centuries, the Clarendon had been the Star Inn. It was a complex of 16th- and 17th-century buildings, one of which had a vaulted Norman cellar dating from the second half of the 12th century: possibly the oldest vaulted structure in Oxford.[9] Thomas Sharp, in Oxford Replanned (1948) a report commissioned by Oxford City Council, warned that Oxford was already short of quality hotel accommodation and the Clarendon's demolition would be a mistake.[8] Notwithstanding Sharp's conclusions, Woolworth's demolished the hotel in 1954–55.[10] After demolition of all the buildings above the surface, parts of the 12th-century vault were destroyed to make way for one of the columns of Clarendon House built in its place.[11]

Clarendon House was designed by William Holford and built in 1956–57.[12] The façade is of coursed and squared rubble masonry with panels of blue-green slate, and Nikolaus Pevsner commended the building as tactful and elegant.[12] The building is now part of the Clarendon Shopping Centre.

St Michael at the North Gate edit

The tower of the Church of England parish church of St Michael at the North Gate is the oldest building in Oxford. It is Saxon and dates from about 1000–1050.[13] The church is named after the medieval gate of Oxford's city walls that spanned the north end of Cornmarket.

Near this church was the Bocardo Prison, where the Oxford Martyrs were imprisoned in 1555–56 before being burnt at the stake outside the town wall in what is now Broad Street nearby.

Adjoining streets edit

Gallery edit

References edit

  1. ^ Hibbert, Christopher, ed. (1988). "Cornmarket". The Encyclopaedia of Oxford. Macmillan. pp. 102–104. ISBN 0-333-39917-X.
  2. ^ a b "Zacharias and Co. of Oxford". Archives Hub. UK: Jisc. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  3. ^ "Britons name 'best and worst streets'". BBC. 20 September 2002. Retrieved 10 January 2008.
  4. ^ "26–27 Cornmarket Street: Pret à Manger". Oxford History. UK. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  5. ^ a b Munby 1992, p. 245.
  6. ^ Munby 1992, p. 253.
  7. ^ Hibbert, Christopher, ed. (1988). "Zacharias and Co.". The Encyclopaedia of Oxford. Macmillan. p. 509. ISBN 0-333-39917-X.
  8. ^ a b Sharp 1948, p. 71.
  9. ^ Jope 1958, p. 20–22.
  10. ^ Jope 1958, p. 1.
  11. ^ Jope 1958, p. 4.
  12. ^ a b Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 312.
  13. ^ Sherwood & Pevsner 1974, p. 294.

Sources and further reading edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cornmarket Street, Oxford.

December 07, 2023
cornmarket, street, colloquially, referred, cornmarket, historically, corn, major, shopping, street, pedestrian, precinct, oxford, england, that, runs, north, south, between, magdalen, street, carfax, tower, cornmarket, 2007location, oxfordshow, oxfordlocation. Cornmarket Street colloquially referred to as Cornmarket or historically The Corn is a major shopping street and pedestrian precinct in Oxford England that runs north to south between Magdalen Street and Carfax Tower 1 2 Cornmarket StreetCornmarketCornmarket Street in 2007Location in OxfordShow map of OxfordLocation in OxfordshireShow map of OxfordshireFormer name s The CornLocationOxford EnglandCoordinates51 45 11 N 1 15 30 W 51 7530 N 1 2584 W 51 7530 1 2584North endGeorge StreetMajorjunctionsGolden Cross Clarendon Shopping CentreSouth endCarfax TowerOtherKnown forShoppingStatusPedestrian precinctTo the east is the Golden Cross arcade of small jewellery and craft shops in a courtyard leading to the Covered Market To the west is the indoor Clarendon Shopping Centre that connects in an L shape to Queen Street Cornmarket was semi pedestrianised and made a limited access street in 1999 Cycling is allowed 6pm to 10am In 2002 it was voted Britain s second worst street in a poll of listeners to the Today programme 3 The rating was largely due to a failed attempt to repave the street in 2001 The granite setts which had been laid extensively cracked and the contractor went into liquidation In 2003 it was repaved again and new benches installed amidst reports of budgetary problems Contents 1 History of shops 2 St Michael at the North Gate 3 Adjoining streets 4 Gallery 5 References 6 Sources and further readingHistory of shops edit nbsp 26 27 Cornmarket Street a 14th century building former location of Zac s and now a Pret a Manger sandwich shop 4 26 28 Cornmarket on the corner of Ship Street is a 14th century timber framed building 5 It is the surviving half of a building completed in about 1386 as the New Inn 5 It belongs to Jesus College and was investigated and restored in 1983 6 Boswells of Oxford established what was the largest department store in Oxford at 50 Cornmarket Street in 1738 In 1928 the shop opened a new main entrance on Broad Street but it still retained an entrance on Cornmarket Street The store closed in 2020The Victorian photographer Henry Taunt set up a shop at 33 Cornmarket Street in 1869 It was a small shop and in 1874 he moved to larger premises in Broad Street Zac s was a waterproof clothing manufacturing and retail firm based at 26 27 Cornmarket established in the 1880s and closed in 1983 7 2 Woolworth s bought the Clarendon Hotel on the west side of the street in 1939 with the intention of demolishing it for the construction of a new store on the site 8 In earlier centuries the Clarendon had been the Star Inn It was a complex of 16th and 17th century buildings one of which had a vaulted Norman cellar dating from the second half of the 12th century possibly the oldest vaulted structure in Oxford 9 Thomas Sharp in Oxford Replanned 1948 a report commissioned by Oxford City Council warned that Oxford was already short of quality hotel accommodation and the Clarendon s demolition would be a mistake 8 Notwithstanding Sharp s conclusions Woolworth s demolished the hotel in 1954 55 10 After demolition of all the buildings above the surface parts of the 12th century vault were destroyed to make way for one of the columns of Clarendon House built in its place 11 Clarendon House was designed by William Holford and built in 1956 57 12 The facade is of coursed and squared rubble masonry with panels of blue green slate and Nikolaus Pevsner commended the building as tactful and elegant 12 The building is now part of the Clarendon Shopping Centre St Michael at the North Gate editThe tower of the Church of England parish church of St Michael at the North Gate is the oldest building in Oxford It is Saxon and dates from about 1000 1050 13 The church is named after the medieval gate of Oxford s city walls that spanned the north end of Cornmarket Near this church was the Bocardo Prison where the Oxford Martyrs were imprisoned in 1555 56 before being burnt at the stake outside the town wall in what is now Broad Street nearby Adjoining streets editBroad Street George Street High Street Magdalen Street Market Street Queen Street St Aldate s St Michael s Street Ship StreetGallery edit nbsp Cornmarket seen from the south 2004 nbsp The Lloyds Bank building on the corner of Cornmarket left and the High Street right nbsp The Saxon tower of St Michael at the North Gate in Cornmarket Street References edit Hibbert Christopher ed 1988 Cornmarket The Encyclopaedia of Oxford Macmillan pp 102 104 ISBN 0 333 39917 X a b Zacharias and Co of Oxford Archives Hub UK Jisc Retrieved 31 July 2022 Britons name best and worst streets BBC 20 September 2002 Retrieved 10 January 2008 26 27 Cornmarket Street Pret a Manger Oxford History UK Retrieved 31 July 2022 a b Munby 1992 p 245 Munby 1992 p 253 Hibbert Christopher ed 1988 Zacharias and Co The Encyclopaedia of Oxford Macmillan p 509 ISBN 0 333 39917 X a b Sharp 1948 p 71 Jope 1958 p 20 22 Jope 1958 p 1 Jope 1958 p 4 a b Sherwood amp Pevsner 1974 p 312 Sherwood amp Pevsner 1974 p 294 Sources and further reading edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cornmarket Street Oxford Leeds E T 1936 A Second Elizabethan Mural Painting at No 3 Cornmarket Street Oxford Oxoniensia Oxford Architectural and Historical Society I 144 150 Sharp Thomas 1948 Oxford Replanned London The Architectural Press Jope E M 1958 The Clarendon Hotel Oxford Part I The Site Oxoniensia Oxford Architectural and Historical Society XXIII 1 83 Pantin W A 1958 The Clarendon Hotel Oxford Part II The Buildings Oxoniensia Oxford Architectural and Historical Society XXIII 84 129 Rouse E Clive 1972 Some 16th and 17th Century Domestic Paintings in Oxford Oxoniensia Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society XXXVII 198 207 Sherwood Jennifer Pevsner Nikolaus 1974 Oxfordshire The Buildings of England Harmondsworth Penguin Books pp 311 312 ISBN 0 14 071045 0 Sturdy David Munby Julian 1985 Early Domestic Sites in Oxford Excavations in Cornmarket and Queen Street 1959 1962 Oxoniensia Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society L 47 94 Munby Julian 1992 Zacharias s a 14th Century Oxford New Inn and the Origins of the Medieval Urban Inn Oxoniensia Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society LVII 245 309 Tyack Geoffrey 1998 Oxford An Architectural Guide Oxford amp New York Oxford University Press pp 2 5 23 24 47 83 175 177 263 264 329 ISBN 0 19 817423 3 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cornmarket Street amp oldid 1112135354, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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