Difference between revisions of "New Biggin"

Latest revision as of 23:18, 19 September 2020

Cornelius Nicholson 123-124

Mentioned in "The annals of Kendal: being a historical and descriptive account of Kendal and the neighbourhood: with biographical sketches of many eminent personages connected with the town" Cornelius Nicholson 1861

"New Biggin (New Building) stood in the middle of Soutergate, now Highgate (vide Speed's Plan). It extended thirty yards in length, and was nine and a half yards broad. On the east side the passage was wide enough for wheeled carriages, on the other, the width was only sufficient for foot passengers. This style of building, standing midway in the main street, was common to many ancient towns. There was a similar one in Newcastle, one in Carlisle, and there is still one at Holborn Bars, in London. The building in question was mostly of wood, two stories high, the upper floor supported by twenty-nine strong beams, without joists, which projected beyond the basement story, and supported a gallery (originally). On the west side there were some small dwellings, and one large room called the "Cordwainers' Hall," belonging to the Cordwainers, the last company of free-men in the town. It is supposed to have been built about 1500. In 1572 it was held by the Marchioness of Northampton, as parcel of the Marquis fee, and the yearly rent at that time paid by tenants at will, appears, from a survey then made, to have been £± 3s. Od. (See account of " The Castle." ante p. 96.) In 1803, the Earl of Lonsdale and Lady Andover were the chief proprietors of the New Biggin, and they made a donation to the town of their respective interests, for the purpose of having it removed, and the ground laid open to the street, which was accordingly done at that time.

It is matter of regret that no sketch or plan of this building was made before its destruction. Mr. John Richardson, architect (now living), has produced a drawing from memory, executed in 1845, which is believed to be generally correct, and we here present a facsimile wood-engraving of the said drawing.

It does not succeed, so well as could be wished, in showing what part of the building was "fair to the street" and what was set back under a piazza or penthouse. Four of the shops in the front exhibited by the drawing retired within a penthouse, supported by wooden pillars. These shops had windows without glass, and with wooden shutters. The other two windows, next the butcher's stall, were glazed. The probability is, that this last named shop had been renovated many years subsequent to the erection of the building, when that front was brought forward, and the expensive luxury of glass introduced. One can imagine the sensation that would be produced in the town by such an innovation ! It is not exactly certain when glass came into use for shop windows in provincial towns. Bede says, glass windows were first introduced into England towards the close of the seventh century. But, for many centuries after that, the use of window glass was confined to buildings for religious purposes ; and we know, from later authors, that, down to the end of the fifteenth century, none but the wealthy indulged in glass windows, for private houses of the first class. The shop in question may have been the very first in the town distinguished by glass windows, and if so, the reader has presented to him, in the view of New Biggin, what he may regard as the most fashionable and frequented part of Kendal about the year 1700.

The picturesque building seen in the open street, north of the New Biggin, will be recollected by most of our readers. That penthouse front was removed in 1828, and replaced by the present bookseller's and jeweller's shops. These were then the modern fashion, and, if compared again with most recent examples of plate glass, &c, will show the progress of improvement in the street architecture. The building with square-topped entry belongs not to the past : it is the Horse and Rainbow public-house, almost as it now stands."

JF Curwen 1900

Mentioned in "Kirkbie-Kendal, Fragments collected relating to it's ancient Streets and Yards; Church and Castle; Houses and Inns", John F Curwen, 1901

Until 1803, the entrance to this main thoroughfare was divided by a building called the "New Biggin", which commenced opposite the Town Hall, and extended northwards some 30 yards in length, and was 9 1/2 yards broad. On the east side, the passage was just wide enough for a wheeled conveyance to pass through; but, on the west, there was only sufficient for foot passengers to walk along it's cobbled pavement. This curious erection, according to a document found at the time of it's removal, was built about the year 1500

It was mostly a timber building, with the upper floor supported by 29 strong oak beaks, projecting so as to form a gallery on the north and west sides and a roof over the shops on the east side. In 1782, the shops were as follows:-

Facing south, C. Askew, glazier, with a horsing stone at the south-west corner; next to which was Mary Hodgson's meat and pot shop; then William Kirkby, another butcher; with a bacon dealer, whose name is lost, adjoining - to all of which the fronts were set back beneath a pent roof with the usual unglazed, but wooden shuttered windows. Adjoining was the house of Dr. Kitchen, with a room on either side of the entrance brought forward to the front of the pent roof, with glazed windows; and lastly, Thomas Lonsdale's ironmongery shop, which extended round the north front to the stone steps that led upwards to the gallery. On the west side, above some small dwellings, was a large room called the "Cordwainers Hall" belonging to the last incorporated body of tradesmen in the town.

It is not difficult to realise the abiding nuisance that this obstruction must have been to the traffic of the town; and it becomes a pleasing duty to record how that the Lady Andover, ever anxious to work for the welfare and interests of Kendal, repeatedly declared that if Lord Lonsdale would but take a torch and set fire to his end of the building, she was ready to do the same to her's. But it would seem that the Earl, having no great love for the town, which he could not politically subdue, was relentless in his opposition. Accordingly it remained until his death in 1803, when it was instantly given over to the Corporation by his successor and the Hon. Mrs. Howard, in order that its obstruction might at once be removed. Unfortunately Mr. Hogg and his camera were not there at the time to take an accurate view of the building, so that we must be forever indebted to John Richardson for his drawing taken from memory in 1845 at the age of 71 years. It will be seen that his perspective is far from being good, in that he makes the cramped western passage appear as if it were a boulevard, and his shading lines on the east elevation are so scarce, that the feeling of the lower story, retreating some four or five feet underneath its pent roof, is lost forever.

Before, the street was just wide enough, so it is quaintly said, to keep people straight as they went home in the dark; but by the removal of this ancient building the thoroughfare bacame, as the Newcastle papers at that time said, one of the largest and most spacious streets of any town in the North of England.