Building record MLI86906 - The Woolmart, Kidgate/Lee Street, Louth
Summary
Former warehouse and wool market built for Louth Corporation in 1825 for the storage and sale of wool. It remains in commercial use as an auction house.
Type and Period (3)
- WAREHOUSE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1825 AD? to 2050 AD)
- WOOL EXCHANGE (Post Medieval - 1825 AD to 1843 AD)
- AUCTION HOUSE (Late 20th Century to 21st Century - 1980 AD? to 2050 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
Full Description
Former warehouse and wool market built for Louth Corporation in 1825 for the storage and sale of wool. It remains in commercial use as an auction house, with storage facilities for goods to be stored and displayed prior to sale.
Wool markets were held in the building until 1843. It stands at the junction of Kidgate and Lee Street, and was the first building to be developed on the Lee Street frontage. A building is shown on the same site on Thomas Espin’s 1808 plan of Louth, prior to the development of Lee Street, and again on Bayley’s plan of 1834. Its construction indicates the growing commercial and industrial activity which followed from the opening of the Louth-Tetney canal, and the building is one of a number of substantial multi-storeyed warehouses to survive in the town centre, some distance from the canal at the furthest end of Eastgate The Wool Mart is shown on Brown’s 'Louth Panorama', along with a number of other multi-storeyed warehouses in the same sector of the town.
The building is of three storeys, and constructed of red brick with brick-coped gables and a pantile roof covering. The principal warehouse building is aligned north-south, with a modern single-storey replacement building extending westwards at it southern end, resulting in an L-shaped plan. The external appearance of the building is strongly functional in character, with distinctive loading doors and a swinging hoist arm to the Kidgate Street elevation. The building is little-altered, and retains its open-plan interior and original roof structure. For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate entry in the National Heritage List for England. {1}{2}{3}
The Wool Mart was the subject of historical research, conducted in September 2015, when a heritage statement was produced to inform the proposed demolition of the adjacent 2 Lee Street and redevelopment of the site. The Wool Mart was purpose built for the Louth Corporation, for the storage and sale of wool. Substantial original beams, flooring and some original stairs and features are still visible within. {4}
Sources/Archives (4)
- <1> SLI12156 Report: QuBE Planning Ltd.. 2008. Louth Conservation Area Appraisal. St Michaels character area.
- <2> SLI8148 Index: Department of the Environment. 1974. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. 824/1/10009.
- <3> SLI13386 Website: Historic England (formerly English Heritage). 2011->. The National Heritage List for England. http://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/. 1271900.
- <4> SLI15402 Report: Lincs Design Consultancy. 2015. The Wool Mart and 2 Lee Street, Louth. -.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred TF 32844 87206 (14m by 22m) Surveyed |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | LOUTH, EAST LINDSEY, LINCOLNSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (3)
External Links (0)
Record last edited
May 28 2026 1:42PM
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