The Market Place in Salisbury is in the centre of town. Market Walk is the covered passage that runs alongside the library from the Maltings to the Market Place.
Reproduced courtesy of Francis Frith.
The ‘Charter Market’
King Henry III granted the right to hold a market in Salisbury in the city’s charter of 1227.
However, the Salisbury market had already been running for some years before then. The earliest reference in the Victoria County History is to the holding of a market in 1219, when Bishop Poore had to give the king a horse to be allowed to do so.
At the time of writing (2010), the market could claim to be 791 years old.
I was interested to compare this with the age of markets in other towns and cities:
- Petticoat Lane, London – 1750s()
- Columbia Road Flower Market – 1864 (although it hasn’t been there continuously)(
- Barnstaple Pannier Market – 1855 ()
- Colchester Market – first mentioned in 1189
Salisbury Market timeline
All of the facts below are taken from the Victoria County History of Wiltshire (), unless there’s a footnote to the contrary.
Early 14th Century – Butcher Row is mentioned
1307 – There was a cross on the current site of the Poultry Cross (). It seems to have been known as the High Cross. An early 14th century incarnation of the Poultry Cross was built by Lord Montacute ()
1314 – some shops had been built in an area to the east called the ‘Fysschamels’‘. (). This was the ‘Fish Shambles’, now Fish Row. ‘Shambles’ here means ‘meat or fish market’().
1337 – straw sold at a house in Carter Street called ‘Chesecornere’ after its owner
1342 – hemp and linen thread were sold in the north east corner
1345 – wool was sold at the Guildhall
14th and 15th Century – there was a corn market in north west corner, near Castle St. This location persisted to some extent in that the library was once the ‘Corn Exchange’. In the early to mid 2000s, there was a pub called the ‘Corn Exchange’ next to the library where the faux-Italian ‘Strada’ chain is now.
Early 15th Century – butchers slaughtered animals in open space south of Butcher Row
15th Century – Council House between the Cheese Market and St Thomas. It was sold in the 18th Century, but had been replaced by what is now the Guild Hall in 1584
15th Century – current base of hexagonal Poultry Cross is built
15th Century – the Blue Boar Inn is mentioned. This may have been where Debenhams now is rather than the Chough.
Before 1416 – fruit, veg, herbage and poultry sold in Minster St and around the Poultry Cross
1416 – there was a Cheese Cross or Milk Cross on the Cheese Market. The Cheese Market is the triangular area in the north west of the market square, bordered by the HSBC bank, Neals Yard, the Strada restaurant, and the library
1427 – it was decreed that fisherman from outside the City should have stalls behind those from Salisbury
1431 and 1455 – mention of coal being seld at ‘le colecorner in Carter Street’
1442 – a Chafcorner is mentioned. This perhaps could be ‘chaff’ as in ‘wheat and chaff’ – I don’t know.
1469 – ‘Le Cookerowe’ is near the George Inn
1473-4 – Oatmeal Corner is mentioned
1499 – there was a yarn market
1525 – there was a stone cross ‘opposite Carter Street’ – presumably at what is now the junction of the New Canal and Queen Street.
1554 – the fish shambles was known as Fish Row.
Before 1580 – a ‘great elm’ stood on the site of what is now the Guildhall
1584 – the Council House (Guild Hall) was finished
1637 – a workhouse stood on the north side of St Thomas Square
18th Century – stocks, pillory and whipping post still stood opposite the Blue Boar
1711 – The Poultry Cross was topped with a sundial and ball
1780 – the Council house burnt down
1795 – the current Guildhall building was built as a Council House, with a donation by the Earl of Radnor
1810 – Wheeler Row was mentioned as part of Oatmeal Row
1845 – the pillory post was moved to the Wood Market
1853 – the top part of Poultry Cross, as it now is, was built
1859 – Market House (latterly called the Corn Exchange, now the site of the library) was built. It was connected to the railway station by a dedicated line,
1887 – lime trees were planted to celebrate Victoria’s 50th year as Queen
1887 – the statue of Henry Fawcett was erected
1927 – the Council House becomes the Town Hall, and then the Guild Hall
2003(approx) – cafes and pubs begon putting tables and chairs out around the perimeter of the market square
2004(approx) – inaugural Salisbury Food and Drink Festival
Salisbury Market Place and the encroachment of the rows
The Market Place was originally slightly bigger than it is now – the roads and alleys between the market and the New Canal were ‘rows’ of market stalls which became more and more permanent until they became rows of buildings.
I don’t know whether the use of the word ‘row‘ in the name of the many of these thoroughfares (Oatmeal Row, Butcher Row, Ox Row and Fish Row) is connected with their origins as ‘rows’ of stalls – this may be assuming too much.
Salisbury Market today
Salisbury Market today consists of about 90 general retail stalls, plus twelve or so ‘farmers market’ stalls (. Typically, the stalls are run by the same traders each market day.
The BBC has a 360-degree view of the market square their Wiltshire website.
The future of Salisbury Market
Salisbury Market place is being re-developed over the next few years.
A competition was launched to re-design the market square in August of 2009. Six architectural teams were shortlisted. The Letts Wheeler firm was selected. ()
Used with the permission of Letts Wheeler
Letts Wheeler say that:
Our winning scheme provides a large, flexible space capable of accomodating an expanded Charter Fair and Charter Market. Subtle reordering has created more generous spaces in which other activities can take place, such as the Remembrance Day parade and outdoor seating for the existing pubs and cafes. The design comprises warm, natural materials and features a shallow rill, reflecting the Market Place’s heritage.
Wolfgang Buttress will be working with us on the integrated public artwork as part of the ‘cathedral aisle’. This avenue, lined with trees and seating, will provide more intimate social spaces and help us to animate the edges of the space.()
Visiting Salisbury?
For accommodation, see the Hotels in Salisbury page.
Footnotes
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