Exchange Arcade, Cornhill Pavement, Lincoln

Image: © Jo and Steve Turner Taken: 20 Oct 2011

Grade II Listed former Corn Exchange. Client for the building was Lincoln Corn Exchange and Market Co. and was built by Kirk of Sleaford to a W A Nicholson design. The foundation stone was laid on 1st September 1847 and opened in April 1848, at a cost of £15,000. Its construction required the removal of a row of properties along the then eastern limit of Cornhill, and a large house on the south side owned by the Swan family. It was enlarged in 1853 by Bellamy & Hardy by extending the west end at a cost of £1,000. It was replaced by a larger Corn Exchange that opened in December 1879 (Image). It was converted in 1882 to 12 small shops either side of a central walkway and a larger shop at east and west ends. In the 1950s it was converted again to 6 larger shops with the walkway on the north side. The basement was Hattons Tea Rooms from the early 1900s until the 1930s. There was an intention to use it as an air raid shelter in 1939 but I don’t know if it ever was, and became used as a store room. Part renovated in 1976 the cellar became the Cornhill Vaults public house until it closed around 2000. Various shops used the arcade over the years but it was unoccupied 2002-2004 until the east end became Waterstones bookshop 2005 to 2021 and Superdry clothing from October 16th 2021. The west end was Wakefields Army Stores for many years in the 1960s and 70s and Santander Bank from 2010. As an example, in 1965 Kelly’s list, in addition to Wakefields, Royal Exchange Assurance Corp.; Motor Union Insurance Co.; Little Shops, childrens outfitters; E Kay Ltd., radio engineers; Green’s Health Foods Ltd.; Lucy & Geoff, hair stylists; Woodheads Ltd., radio, electrical and television engineers. In 1896 among others there were chemical manure manufacturers, hosiers, toy shop, hairdressers, registry office, newspaper and post office telegraphs dept.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0