Monument record 7196/106/2 - Medieval market

In 1298 the farm of stalls in market place was worth £4. The first details of the numbers of shops and stalls is given in 1313-14 when 25 butchers' stalls were worth 100/-, and 8 shops farmed to the linen dealers at 47/-. Le Shoprowe is mentioned in 1488 and in 1591 Norden shows four rows of shops and stalls on the market place. One of these was largely the Moot Hall and bakehouse but appears to include one or more other buildings at the north end. There is then a second row to the west of the Moot Hall adjacent to Behind Stye. Then on the eastern side of the market place there were two more rows. In 1737 the two rows adjacent to Behind the Stye remained, appearing to be back to back rows fronting east and west. More detail is provided in 1789 when the western rows are seen to be in three parts, a single building at the southern end, then a narrow alley, another longer row then another alley and then a final longer row. By this time however the properties seem only to have fronted eastward, with single properties extending from the main road to Behind Stye. If the pattern seen in the post medieval period reflects the medieval pattern, as detailed documentary research suggests was the case in Oundle, then the western two rows may perhaps be equated with the butchers row of some 25 stalls while the eastern group might represent the 8 linen merchants' shops. The Moot Hall row was removed in the early 19th century as were the eastern group of shops which were replaced by the new town hall. The western rows of shops next to Behind Stye have also been converted to houses but the two alleyways still remain dividing the row into three parts. (1) (2) (3)

<1> Foard G.; Ballinger J., 1999, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Higham Ferrers (Medieval - Industrial), (unchecked) (Digital archive). SNN100543.

<2> 1591, Bibliotheque Nationale Paris, Mss 706 Anglais, Acq. Nouv. No.58, (unchecked) (Map). SNN100545.

<3> COLBECK J., 1737, Higham Ferrers, 1737 (NRO Map 1004), (unchecked) (Map). SNN100548.

Record last edited

Apr 24 2017 3:13PM