The Old Market Hall

The Old Market Hall, situated in Shrewsbury Town Square, has seen a lot of changes in the town - after all, it has been standing for almost 500 years! As it's name suggests, the Old Market Hall used to be the mian place for merchants and farmers from Shrewsbury and the local area to buy and sell their goods - mostly sheep's wool and other textiles. That's why, in pictures such as the one above, market stalls and horses with carts full of different items can be seen in and around the building!

As the country moved into the Victorian era, the market underneath The Old Market Hall began to be needed less and less, as more goods were being made in factories. However, it was still a popular place for local business owners and members of the public to meet and socialise!

The buildings around the market also changed with the era as well, with some of the Tudor-era buildings being replaced with more modern, brick and mortar buildings due to how wealthy Shrewsbury was becoming. A statue portraying Clive of India (a famous Victorian soldier) was also added during this time, and remains in the same spot to this day!

Today, you can see that a lot has changed around The Old Market Hall, from the buildings that surround it to the things occupying the square that it sits in. The purpose of the building itself has even changed; it no longer holds a market within it's walls, but a cinema instead! However, many things have stayed the same in the building's 500 year history, most notably the building itself, with its walls of Grinshill sandstone holding firm over the centuries. As mentioned before, the Clive of India Statue still sits proudly in front of the building in the same place it was built nearly 200 years ago, and is a popular subject for photographers who find themselves in Shrewsbury. There is even the occasional market that pops up around the vuilding from time to time, just like in Tudor times!