Coordinates: 52°42′26″N 2°45′16″W / 52.7073°N 2.7545°W / 52.7073; -2.7545 The Old Market Hall is an Elizabethan building situated in the town centre of Shrewsbury, the county town of Shropshire, England.

The Old Market Hall, situated in the Square, Shrewsbury

Back of the OMH, facing the Music Hall

Built in 1596, the property is now in the ownership of Shropshire Council. In 2004 the building underwent a £1.7 million restoration, having been previously restored in 1904. The OMH is a Grade 1 Listed building.

The hall had two storeys: the large upper room was originally used by the Shrewsbury drapers or dealers in cloth to sell Welsh wool and the lower floor was used by farmers to sell their corn. The Old Market Hall was one of the earliest forms of prefabricated buildings; it was erected in less than four months. It bears the Royal Coat of Arms of Queen Elizabeth I, with the date of 1596, and the supporters are the English Lion and the Welsh dragon. On the North side of the Old Market Hall there is a statue of the Duke of York; it is the only one in the whole country. It is thought the OMH was designed by Walter Haycock.

A previous Market House was built on the same site in the 1260s. This building was demolished to make way for the Market Hall.^[1]

The OMH is made from Grinshill stone (from the North of Shropshire) and was used by wool merchants as a place to sell their fleeces. The post holes where fleeces were hung can still be seen today.

The top room of the old Market Hall was used as the town's magistrates court until 1995. The lower part of the structure has been used for many purposes, including as an air raid shelter during the Second World War.^[2]

Above the main arch there is a statue of a man in armour; he is thought to have been the Duke of York. This sculpture was originally located on the Welsh Bridge and it was moved to its current location on the orders of the town mayor in 1771.

Recently the Market Hall building has been refurbished as an arts venue and café, showcasing films and digital media.^[3]

The Old Market Hall falls under the administration of the Shropshire Council's Arts & Heritage Department.

[edit] See also

• Shrewsbury
• Music Hall, Shrewsbury

[edit] External links

• Old Market Hall website
• Music Hall website
• BBC article
• Another BBC article
• Old images of the Old Market Hall
• Info on the Square

[edit] References