| Abstract: |
Following the submission of a planning application for the proposed demolition of 79a Market Street, Dalton-in-Furness, Cumbria, prior to redevelopment of the site, Greenlane Archaeology was commissioned to carry out an archaeological building recording. This recording provides suitable information about the history of the building so that a better understanding of its development can be obtained. This in turn can then be used to assess the impact of any proposed alterations. Unfortunately, due to safety concerns the building was demolished prior to the building recording and access was severely limited due to the condition of the structure. This report was compiled based on the limited available information at the time. Dalton-in-Furness is primarily a medieval town, with some evidence for earlier activity, and the site is located in the heart of the medieval burgage plots. Early maps show that the site was occupied by buildings from at least the early 19th century, with a long north/south block on the east side and a smaller square block to the west. The tithe map of 1842 reveals that the site formed part of a tannery and malt kiln. Later 19th century maps mark the east block as ‘Market Street Hall’ or just ‘Hall’, although the Rating Valuation of 1910 does not provide any further information detailing what it was used for. The building revealed that the structure comprised five distinct blocks, the earliest of which probably corresponded to the two blocks shown on the early 19th century plans, perhaps representing elements of the malt kiln and tannery. These were later extended to the south, with a block that clearly formed a shop, with perhaps a dwelling above. In the late 19th century, the north/south block on the east side was apparently remodelled to form a market hall; at the same time a new town hall was built for Dalton on Station Road, which was originally intended to house a market hall, but this section was apparently never constructed, so it is possible that this was built on a separate site on the north side of Market Street to provide this function. Later it was subject to substantial modernisation, which included the addition of flat-roofed extensions, but also led to the loss of much of its original fabric. The structure is not Listed but is within the Conservation Area for Dalton. It was, however, substantially modified and lost almost all features of architectural and historical interest, probably before the most recent designation of the Conservation Area in 2005. The building recording, albeit limited, has provided a better understanding of this interesting structure, which had links to both the industrial and social history of the town. |
