Corn Exchange, Tonbridge

The Corn Exchange is a former chapel, trading facility and military installation at Bank Street (formerly Back Street) in Tonbridge, Kent.

The Corn Exchange
Tonbridge
The Corn Exchange
The Corn Exchange is located in Kent
The Corn Exchange
The Corn Exchange
Location within Kent
Coordinates51.19761°N 0.27466°E / 51.19761; 0.27466
TypeDrill hall
Site history
Built1791
Built forWar Office
In use1791-Present

History

The building was originally commissioned as a chapel for the Independent Congregationalists and was referred to as the "Independent Chapel".[1][2] It was built in red brick and completed on 19 March 1791.[3] The design involved a main frontage of three bays facing onto Bank Street, which was previously known as Back Street.[4] The central bay featured a small portico formed by four columns supporting an entablature. The outer bays were fenestrated by mullioned and transomed windows with pointed heads and hood moulds. The frontage was surmounted by a pediment with a circular panel containing a trefoil in the tympanum. The building was enlarged in 1847.[5]

The Independent Congregationalists moved out to new premises in the High Street in 1876 and the chapel became used as the local Corn Exchange.[6] However, the use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century.[7]

The building was then converted to become the headquarters of the 4th Battalion, The Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment) in 1910.[8] It also became the headquarters of the Kent Cyclist Battalion at this time.[8] The 4th Battalion was mobilised at the drill hall in August 1914 before being deployed to India.[9][10]

The battalion merged with the 5th Battalion to form the 4th/5th Battalion in 1947.[11] Following the cut-backs in 1967, the presence at the drill hall was reduced to a single company, E Company, 5th (Volunteer) Battalion, The Queen's Regiment.[12] The drill hall was subsequently decommissioned and converted for commercial use.[13]

See also

References

  1. "History". Christ Church United Reformed Church. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  2. Lists of chapels belonging to the Church of England and places of public worship, registered for solemnization of marriages, also of all superintendent registrars, and deputy superintendent registrars; registrars of marriages, and of registrars of births and deaths, and deputy registrars. 1839.
  3. "Christ Church URC". Touch 2000 (Tonbridge United Churches 2000) history project. L.M. Simms, TOUCH 2000/Tonbridge United Churches and Keith Halstead. 2000–2012. Archived from the original on 9 February 2009. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  4. Booker, John Michael Lloyd (1 November 1984). "The Architecture of Banking: A study of the Design of British Banks from the 18th Century to Modern Times" (PDF). University of York. p. 105.
  5. "Old Tonbridge in pictures: Other churches". Tonbridge Historical Society. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  6. "Tonbridge Timeline". Tonbridge History. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  7. Fletcher, T. W. (1973). 'The Great Depression of English Agriculture 1873-1896' in British Agriculture 1875-1914. London: Methuen. p. 31. ISBN 978-1136581182.
  8. "Tonbridge". The drill hall project. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  9. "Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment". The Long, Long Trail. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  10. "Bank Street drill Hall". Kent in World War I. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  11. "4th Battalion, The Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 14 February 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  12. "5th (V) Battalion, The Queen's Regiment and The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment". Regiments.org. Archived from the original on 23 February 2006. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  13. "Bobbett Design". Creative Match. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
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