Guildhall Street, Cambridge
Encyclopedia
Guildhall Street is a street in central Cambridge
, England
. To the north is the southeast corner of Market Hill
at the junction with the pedestrianised shopping street Petty Cury
. To the south it continues as Guildhall Place, a cul-de-sac
, at the junction with Wheeler Street, close to the northern end of Corn Exchange Street
.
To the west is the Cambridge Guildhall
, hence the name of the street. To the east is the Lion Yard
shopping centre.
Fisher House in Guildhall Street is a Grade II listed late 16th / early 17th century timber-framed building. The Red Cow public house
is also Grade II listed, built in 1898 in a Jacobethan
style.
There is an outdoor sculpture, Talos
, by Michael Ayrton
in c. 1960, installed in Guildhall Street around 1973.
in Cambridge. The line of Guildhall Street as a street dates to at least the 16th century, when it was known as Butcher Row because of the meat market. Houses and stalls used to line the street, but these have changed radically, especially during the
20th century. The current building that forms the Guildhall dates mainly from the 1930s, although this site has been the centre for Cambridge's local government since the 14th century.
Guildhall Place to the south linked the yards and rows behind Petty Cury
since at least the 19th century. Its position was changed when the Lion Yard shopping centre was built in 1975.
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. To the north is the southeast corner of Market Hill
Market Hill, Cambridge
Market Hill is the location of the marketplace in central Cambridge, England. Operating as a marketplace since Saxon times, a daily outdoor market with stalls continues to run there....
at the junction with the pedestrianised shopping street Petty Cury
Petty Cury
Petty Cury is a pedestrianised shopping street in central Cambridge, England. It connects Market Hill, the location of Cambridge's central outdoor market, and Guildhall Street to the west with the shopping streets of Sidney Street and St Andrew's Street to the east...
. To the south it continues as Guildhall Place, a cul-de-sac
Cul-de-sac
A cul-de-sac is a word of French origin referring to a dead end, close, no through road or court meaning dead-end street with only one inlet/outlet...
, at the junction with Wheeler Street, close to the northern end of Corn Exchange Street
Corn Exchange Street
Corn Exchange Street is a street in central Cambridge, England. It runs between Wheeler Street to the northwest and Downing Street to the southeast...
.
To the west is the Cambridge Guildhall
Cambridge Guildhall
Cambridge Guildhall is a listed building designed in 1939 by Charles Cowles-Voysey in the centre of the historic city of Cambridge, England. It includes two halls, The Large Hall and The Small Hall, and is used for many disparate events such as comedy acts, conferences, craft fairs, live music,...
, hence the name of the street. To the east is the Lion Yard
Lion Yard
The Lion Yard Shopping Centre is a city centre undercover shopping centre in Cambridge, England. It predates and is significantly smaller than either the Grafton Centre or the Grand Arcade. The latter connects directly to the Lion Yard, which is in the city centre...
shopping centre.
Fisher House in Guildhall Street is a Grade II listed late 16th / early 17th century timber-framed building. The Red Cow public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
is also Grade II listed, built in 1898 in a Jacobethan
Jacobethan
Jacobethan is the style designation coined in 1933 by John Betjeman to describe the mixed national Renaissance revival style that was made popular in England from the late 1820s, which derived most of its inspiration and its repertory from the English Renaissance , with elements of Elizabethan and...
style.
There is an outdoor sculpture, Talos
Talos
In Greek mythology, Talos or Talon was a giant man of bronze who protected Europa in Crete from pirates and invaders by circling the island's shores three times daily while guarding it.- History :...
, by Michael Ayrton
Michael Ayrton
Michael Ayrton was an English artist and writer, known as a painter, printmaker and sculptor, and also as a critic, broadcaster and novelist...
in c. 1960, installed in Guildhall Street around 1973.
History
Guildhall Street was originally the location of the meat marketMeat market
A meat market is, traditionally, a marketplace where meat is sold, often by a butcher.It may also refer to:* Meat packing industry* As an alternative spelling for meet market, a singles event or location with many single people, especially one where attendees are rapidly sizing up members of the...
in Cambridge. The line of Guildhall Street as a street dates to at least the 16th century, when it was known as Butcher Row because of the meat market. Houses and stalls used to line the street, but these have changed radically, especially during the
20th century. The current building that forms the Guildhall dates mainly from the 1930s, although this site has been the centre for Cambridge's local government since the 14th century.
Guildhall Place to the south linked the yards and rows behind Petty Cury
since at least the 19th century. Its position was changed when the Lion Yard shopping centre was built in 1975.