Market Street

I believed it was the market but I've never been able to pin it down.

Helen, On the tab Street Views a view of Market Place shows the end of a shop which looks like it has Bacon fiches (I think that is the right word) hanging outside. It is not the same building as it has 2 upstairs stories. Do you think this could be the Bishop Street shop ? Do those stickers on the end say "removing". Also why are there policeman standing outside the shop ?

I think that 7 and 8 Market Street works (and the Library says it is Market Street). By the time of the Fire Insurance maps they've been demolished and a new set, further to the west, have been erected. My mistake was not realising that the image is looking north. I think that the building to the right of the photographer but not in this picture (you can just see a bollard on the corner at the bottom of the photo) is The Welsh Harp. In front, to the right is one of two buildings before you would emerge into the old market. The chimney in the photo looks like the chimney on the right but I think that our photo is further in the distance. The Library notes indicate that it moved from Market Street to Cross Cheaping in 1900, although 7 and 8 weren't on the 1897 map. Maybe they moved out of this shop and into a 3 storey replacement until 1900 when they moved entirely?

Thank you, Anne that puts Laxon's in the right place!

Well, the picture above is no doubt the women’s butter market, and the three storey building behind the stocks the watchhouse or lock-up - on plan it was nearly square. On the one side it adjoined a very old inn and its yard, which stood on the corner of West Orchard. Up to 1840 the stocks had been the other side of the butter market, the old lot was removed the year of the picture 1865 to make room for the new market hall. A number of sentry boxes were spread around the market place for the police to rest in.

Bacon flitch Anne, you lost one letter! Perhaps the police were guarding them. Edited by member, 10th Jul 2020 1:45 pm

Now old Charlie Kirk thought good meat should have good drink, ale, followed by rum and water, but this did not make him merry, only made him discontent - he was flushed and his eyes had a decidedly quarrelsome stare as he stood outside the Mayor’s Parlour. The watchman, swinging his stick, came near. “I'm not a feared on you, that's what I'm got to say to you”, said Charlie. “My goodfellow, you’re drunk”, said the watchman, and turned. Charlie immediately fronted him. “I'm no more drunk nor you are, nor so much”. Charlie’s voice grew louder. The watchman thought he hd been insulted, grabbed Charlie by the shoulder and bundled him through the passageway into the watchhouse. Two minutes later Charlie found himself sitting in the stocks. Now Charlie was a frequenter of the stocks, he had often walked the rounds with the watchmen so was on friendly terms with them. He made considerable money at his trade, but became addicted to tippling. He would do his work, that of a brass watch-cock engraver, whilst in the stocks, regardless of the crowd of people who would watch his performance.

Thanks to Cliff Berwick - another smasher. Taken looking west - you can just see the top of Market Street upper left

A smasher indeed, Neil. I don't know why I thought it but if that had been today there would be an uncouth youth at the top of that old street light shouting the odds. Ooooh, and all those flat caps! Must thank your Mr Berwick for us, he deserves a mention too.

I note on Rob's maps is Market Arcade. This in addition then to the Drinkwater Arcade which was next to the White Lion? With the City Arcade on the other side of Smithford Street makes three arcades! Market one looks it may be shorter.