Covered Market, Preston
| Covered Market | |
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The Covered Market in 2015
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 Covered Market
Location within Preston city centre
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| General information | |
| Town or city | Preston, Lancashire |
| Country | England |
| Coordinates | 53°45′38″N 2°41′58″W / 53.7605°N 2.6995°WCoordinates: 53°45′38″N 2°41′58″W / 53.7605°N 2.6995°W |
| Construction started | 1870 |
| Completed | 1875 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Edward Garlick |
| Main contractor | William Allsup |
| Designations | |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Designated | 27 September 1979 |
| Reference no. | 1218479 |
| Website | |
| www |
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The Covered Market in Earl Street, Preston, Lancashire, England is a Grade II listed landmark structure built 1870-75.
It was in 1837 that Preston Corporation first turned its thoughts to the provision of a covered market and "appointed a committee to procure plans, estimates, etc.". Certainly Council minutes and local press comment show Preston was experiencing some problems with its market provision (In 1841-2 the fish market was moved to a covered area adjacent to the corn exchange and ‘moveable stalls’ were restricted on Preston’s streets).
By 1841 the Corporation "appeared seriously disposed to erect a covered market". Three sites were proposed, east of the present market place, Lune Street, and "the Orchard" (from which the current street name derives, and was the main open space of the town where most outdoor events and annual fairs were held). But in February 1842, the proposals were rejected, the given reason being the strain on the corporation finances caused by the Ribble Navigation. (In this same year, the Corporation had to borrow £12,000 from the Treasury to pay off debts incurred by the Navigation improvements.)
A covered market remained a talking point. In 1846, the Preston Guardian went so far as to propose that "the space allotted to the corn market has always been much larger than was needed" and that the Corn Exchange should be remodelled to create a new covered market.
Plans resurfaced in 1848 and the municipal authorities again resolved to obtain all the necessary surveys, plans and valuations, and to seek to finance the new covered market by a local act in Parliament for "a sum not exceeding £40,000 upon the security of such market and the tolls, stallage, etc., to be received therein". The chosen site was to be between Lune Street, Friargate, Fishergate and the Old Market Place (a location almost identical to that currently occupied by St George's Shopping Centre) and an outline plan, showing dimensions of 63 yards (58 m) at the Lune Street end, by 132 yards (121 m), by 53 yards (48 m) at the Market Place, was published in the local press.
However, once again other projects took priority and the council voted down the proposal on the grounds that the corporation's resources were, at the time, "sufficiently taxed by the improvements in progress". Over the thirty-year period from the idea of a covered market first being mooted, to its final construction, Preston Corporation was undertaking a huge and costly range of civic improvement. It addition to the Port of Preston (including the construction of bonded warehouses and a customs house), Avenham Walk, Oxheys cattle market, Saul Street baths and Town Hall were all constructed and work was planned on the new home for the Shepherd Library (which would eventually become the Harris Library and Museum).
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Wikipedia