Tring Market House

The first market house in Tring was a modest rectangular building in Church Square dating back to the mid-17th century.[2] It was built on wooden stilts and was equipped with a pillory and a lock-up for petty criminals on the ground floor.[2][3] Following a significant growth in population, largely associated with the status of Tring as a market town, the area became an urban district in 1894.[4] The new council decided to demolish the old market house, as it impeded access to the Church of St Peter and St Paul, and to erect a new market house to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria: the site they selected, which was 100 yards (91 m) to the west of the old building, was donated by Lord Rothschild whose country home was Tring Park Mansion.[5]

The new building was financed by public subscription; it was designed by Lord Rothschild's architect, William Huckvale, in the Tudor Revival style, built using timber frame construction and was completed in 1898.[5] It was arcaded on the ground floor, so that markets could be held, with a council chamber above.[1] The design involved an asymmetrical main frontage with three bays facing onto the High Street; the left hand two bays were open but the right hand bay contained a doorway with a fanlight giving access to a stairway leading to the council chamber. On the first floor, which was jettied over the pavement, there was a large oriel window with a gable above.[1] Internally, the principal rooms were the council chamber and the offices of the town clerk and town surveyor.[6]

After the ground floor had been enclosed in 1910, the local fire service used the floor as garaging the fire engine,[7][8] and, during the First World War, the building was used as a depot for hospital stores.[9][10] The market house continued to serve as the headquarters of the urban district council for much of the 20th century[6][11] but ceased to be the local seat of government when Dacorum Borough Council was formed in Hemel Hempstead in 1974.[12] Instead the first floor became the offices and meeting place of the newly-formed Tring Town Council,[13] while the ground floor was occupied by the local information centre and various retail users including, since January 2009, a homewares shop.[14]

Works of art in the town hall include paintings by the local artist, Arthur Hedges, depicting both the old market house in Church Square and the new market house as it was when it was first built.[15]