The Cornhill in Ipswich is a historic

town square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...

in the centre of

Ipswich Ipswich () is a port town and Borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in Suffolk, England. It is the county town, and largest in Suffolk, followed by Lowestoft and Bury St Edmunds, and the third-largest population centre in East Anglia, ...

Suffolk Suffolk ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and East Anglia. It is bordered by Norfolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Essex to the south, and Cambridgeshire to the west. Ipswich is the largest settlement and the county ...

. 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 The 16th century began with the Julian calendar, Julian year 1501 (represented by the Roman numerals MDI) and ended with either the Julian or the Gregorian calendar, Gregorian year 1600 (MDC), depending on the reckoning used (the Gregorian calend ...

. In the present-day, the Cornhill hosts various events such as

Christmas market A Christmas market is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent. These markets originated in Germany, but are now held in many countries. Some in the U.S. have Phono-semantic matching, adapted ...

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

the proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...

. 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. It is used for meetings of Ipswich Borough Council and also serves as an events venue and art gallery. History The firs ...

building is located on the Cornhill.

History

The Cornhill has always been an important area throughout the town's history. It was the location of St Mildred's Church which was later used as an administrative centre. During the religious turmoil of the sixteenth century, the Cornhill was site of the execution of the

, nine people were persecuted for their

Lollard Lollardy was a proto-Protestantism, proto-Protestant Christianity, Christian religious movement that was active in England from the mid-14th century until the 16th-century English Reformation. It was initially led by John Wycliffe, a Catholic C ...

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

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 arboretum, arboreta close to the town centre in Ipswich, Suffolk. The park hosts various facilities such as a children's play area, tennis courts, table ...

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 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 of windmil ...

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 fuel gas such as methane, propane, butane, acetylene, ethylene, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, coal gas (town gas) or natural gas. The light is produced either directly by ...

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:George Frost - Corn Hill and Moot Hall, Ipswich - B1986.29.400 - Yale Center for British Art.jpg, Corn Hill and Moot Hall c1820 File:Ipswich Cornhill in 1865.jpg, The Cornhill in 1865 File:Cornhill, Ipswich - geograph.org.uk - 17067.jpg, The grand Georgian building housing Lloyds Bank (June 2005) File:Cabmans Shelter - Christchurch Park.jpg, Cabman's Shelter, built for drivers of horse-drawn cabs in the square, now located in

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cornhill, Ipswich Buildings and structures in Ipswich Squares in England Alexandra Ward, Ipswich