Market House next to St. Mary’s Church was built in 1855 and designed by Talbot Bury who had worked on the design for the Houses of Parliament with Charles Barry and Augustus Pugin. Locally he had designed the original Holy Trinity School in Chapelhay. St, John’s Church and the Fish Market.
Its early days were marred by controversy as there were complaints about the high charges imposed by the Council and the standard of building work. Its use declined and it was demolished in 1939 to be replaced by shops with flats above and an arcade. The development was also named Markey House.
It was remodelled again in the late 1990s and renamed Brenda Dench House after a widely respected Mayor who had worked tirelessly on such matters a as housing and education and, sadly, died during her year of office in 1995.
There are current proposals to remodel the block.
