The Cornhill in Ipswich is a historic

town square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

in the centre of

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and borough in Suffolk, England, of which it is the county town. The town is located in East Anglia about away from the mouth of the River Orwell and the North Sea. Ipswich is both on the Great Eastern Main Line ...

, Suffolk. The square has been a gathering place for many centuries in the town, the earliest recorded event was the execution of the

Ipswich Martyrs The Ipswich Martyrs were nine people burnt at the stake for their Lollard or Protestant beliefs around 1515-1558. The executions were mainly carried out in the centre of Ipswich, Suffolk on The Cornhill, the square in front of Ipswich Town Hall. ...

in the 16th century. In the present-day, the Cornhill hosts various events such as

Christmas market A Christmas market, also known as ''Christkindlmarkt'' (literally: ''Christ Child Market'', but the term "Christkind" usually refers to an angel-like "spirit of Christmas" rather than literally the Christ Child), ''Christkindlesmarkt'', ''Chris ...

s, live music shows, and outdoor screenings of notable broadcasts, such as

the proms The BBC Proms or Proms, formally named the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts Presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hal ...

. The square is surrounded by grand Victorian buildings built as the town's wealth was booming from sheep wool and dock trade. The prominent

Ipswich Town Hall Ipswich Town Hall is a municipal building in Ipswich, in the county of Suffolk, England. It is a Grade II listed building. History The first town hall had its origins in a chapel dedicated to Mildrith, St Mildrith which had been converted int ...

building is located on the Cornhill.

History

Ipswich by John Speed, 1610 (1850 facsimile)

The Cornhill has always been an important area throughout the town's history. One of the earliest recorded events taken place on the Cornhill was the execution of the

, nine people were persecuted for their

Lollard Lollardy, also known as Lollardism or the Lollard movement, was a proto-Protestant Christian religious movement that existed from the mid-14th century until the 16th-century English Reformation. It was initially led by John Wycliffe, a Catho ...

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

beliefs around 1515–1558. A memorial for the martyrs was erected in

Christchurch Park Christchurch Park is a historical area of rolling lawns, wooded areas, and delicately created arboreta close to the town centre in Ipswich, Suffolk. The park hosts various facilities such as a children's play area, tennis courts, table tennis, bo ...

in 1903. The monument has a square, stone base that bears a testament to the martyrs on the front, and lists their names on the other three sides. In 1818

William Cubitt Sir William Cubitt FRS (bapt. 9 October 1785 – 13 October 1861) was an eminent English civil engineer and millwright. Born in Norfolk, England, he was employed in many of the great engineering undertakings of his time. He invented a type o ...

connected a gas supply emanating from Ransome and Sons coke plant in Old Foundry Street to Cornhill, thereby introducing

gas lighting Gas lighting is the production of artificial light from combustion of a gaseous fuel, such as hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either directly ...

to the square. In 1980's the Cornhill was pedestrianised into a town square after being used as a busy road throughout the town for decades. Cabman's Shelter, created in 1892, was made to provide a dry, warm space for drivers of horse-drawn cabs in the centre of Ipswich. It was moved from the Cornhill, to Christchurch Park in 1895. Damaged by fire in 1995, it was restored in 2006.

2018 Redevelopment

In 2012, Lord Stuart Rose criticised the town square, describing it as a "barren wasteland" and "the most depressing place I have ever seen". His comments led to a £3.6 million redevelopment of the square, in 2018 work commenced to replace the pavement, add a water fountain feature, and add four stone "gateway" arches. The new square was criticised by locals and a petition against the cost and design was signed by over 4000 people. A few months after the new square was opened, a fatal incident on the square's steps brought many questions about the safety of the new square. The council responded by commissioning remedial work to improve the safety of the squares steps, and by removing the gateway arches which were widely disliked. The redevelopment was completed in 2020, two years after the construction work first commenced.

Gallery

File:Cornhill, Ipswich - geograph.org.uk - 17067.jpg, The grand Georgian building housing Lloyds Bank File:Cabmans Shelter - Christchurch Park.jpg, Cabman's Shelter, built for drivers of horse-drawn cabs in the square, now located in

. File:Ipswich Cornhill in 1865.jpg, The Cornhill in 1865

References

{{John Speed's Ipswich Buildings and structures in Ipswich Squares in England Alexandra Ward, Ipswich