Will Tow Law Bull Ring trade cows for Coriolanus?
THE remaining pieces of a once-popular Wear Valley auction mart could be one their way to Teesdale to become the centrepiece of a Shakespearean-style theatre.
The majority of Tow Law’s historic mart was knocked down to make way for houses after it stopped trading in 2005.
However, plans submitted to Durham County Council show that a local developer wants to take away the remaining ‘Bull Ring’ and use it to form a miniature Globe theatre in the round.
Approval is currently being sought from English Heritage for consent to move the Bull Ring, which is in a poor state of repair, 20 miles away to Barnard Castle.
Peter Coverdale, the man behind the ambitious project said: “I’ve been looking at moving the Bull Ring for about a year now but we have the blessing of English Heritage and the old Wear Valley District Council.”
Since the closure of the mart, local opinion had been divided about the future of the grade II listed Bull Ring.
Some saw it an historic gem and an important part of Tow Law’s history, while others felt it was an eyesore.
When the rest of the mart was pulled down in 2005 to make way for new housing development, Cllr Ron Grogan, from Tow Law Town Council, said the Bull Ring should also have been demolished.
Cllr Grogan, who has a pivotal part of the regeneration of Tow Law, said of the plans: “It’s an excellent idea and an ideal situation.
“We hope McInery Homes will bring the houses forward into the area and the town council has a regeneration programme to make the area town centre park with trees and benches.
“The problem before has been that thing stuck in the middle – the plans have my full backing.” Proposals submitted to the county council show the mart being re-erected alongside a farm shop, café and retail units at Cross Lanes Farm, just off the A66.
Mr Coverdale said: “The auction mart is a bit of an eyesore at the moment, but the scheme at Cross Lanes would preserve it.
“It would be like a miniature Globe theatre with seating around the stage.
“It would take a couple of weeks to take it down and a couple of months to put it back up. Any of the wood that’s rotten will be repaired and it will look fantastic when it is restored and back in an agricultural environment.”
Mr Coverdale has applied for a large grant for the scheme and it is hoped confirmation of the bid’s success will be received in the coming weeks.
If Durham County Council gives the latest proposals the go-ahead, Mr Coverdale said work on the farm shop could start be January.”