‘Bridgnorthtowncrier’. and the Facebook page of ‘Friends of Bridgnorth Market’ were set up to support the Saturday Bridgnorth Market in 2013 after a letter was sent – on behalf of the Town Council- to the Saturday Market traders about ‘co-ordinating and regulating the market in the future ‘ with some talk of electric points and uniform stalls ( letter dated April 13th 2013)
Although the letter spoke of ‘ an exciting project’ the Traders were worried . I remember coming out of my house – then 36 High Street- and noticing the clusters of traders standing around and talking. They were distracted and gloomy so it was obvious that something had happened. They were in receipt of ‘ the letter’. The mood quickly spread and the residents of the town were drawn into this sorry saga and began to mobilise to stop what they thought was the destruction of a 900 year old independent market under the guise of ‘modernising it’!
Walking down the High Street on Saturday mornings when the sun is shining and the pavement is busy with Bridgnorthians and visitors to the town gives me a warm feeling that I am part of a heritage. Visitors including those who use the Chamber of Commerce free Park and Ride remark on the lovely shambolic market, the stalls that are different, the fact that it is unregulated. During that summer of 2013 over 4000 signatures were collected from residents and visitors who were against the scheme.
It is important that we remember our heritage so here is a potted version of a iconic part of the history of the town.
First of all – most of the town records including the market charters were destroyed by a fire in 1646 during the Civil War. Records had apparently been stored for safe keeping in the church in St Leonards Close. Presumably the originals are stored – on vellum – at the Records Office in London . ( Can they be found?). However, subsequent legal challenges have established that the markets are there by ‘prescriptive’ rights . That is by ‘custom’ and this takes precedence.
Henry 2 probably issued a charter after a siege around Bridgnorth dated 1155 or in the summer of 1157 where Bruges was established by a self governing borough . The charter was vague ….’franchises, customs and rights…..that had been enjoyed by the burgesses of the town under Henry 1 . However, the charter of Henry 2 remains the oldest known Royal charter granted to a Shropshire Borough.
The original market place was probably within the outer Bailey of the castle, then from the mid 12th century the High Town market was probably held in the High Street. Stalls were put out in front of shops on market days but there were also permanent shops with covered walkways. Leland describes the High Street in the mid 16th century as a ….
” most attractive street that runs from north to south, the houses on each side have galleries like those in some the city streets in Chester…”
The charter of 1215 was obtained in the reign of King John and it granted the burgesses the rights and privileges of trading through the kingdom …”free of tolls, in markets and fairs in cities and boroughs …except in the city of London” There were up to eleven ancient fairs at one time as well as the Saturday Market…including the May Fair: St Luke’s Fair : Shrove Tuesday although by 1888 only St Luke’s Fair survived.
Imagine Bridgnorth as it was in the 16/17th centuries. It was Important enough to be on horse drawn coach routes from London to Chester and Liverpool. The black and white building where Tanners and Liage are now was a coaching inn as was the Crown Inn… now The Factory Shop. (I remember Tanners carpark being full of old stables – we used to park there) Bridgnorth was a prominent market centre for the Saturday market and country fairs selling local produce and goods. In 1571 ( Queen Elizabeth 1) there were heavy penalties for refusing to wear certain items – one of which were woollen caps – the making of which had been conferred to Bridgnorth as well as four other places. Boats came up the river Severn and moored in Low Town bringing and taking away produce , coals and commodities The river traffic continued even after the advent of the railway. Boats and barges were a common sight until the beginning of the 20th century
Our wide High street was the obvious place for the market. Plenty of space for produce and livestock and with stalls along the sides of the street. Under the Town Hall butter, eggs and poultry were sold, the Town Hall originally had stallage space under it where ancient charter rights were claimed for sellers of local produce as long as they lived within a few miles of town and moved out by noon. Despite objections and legal challenges the Town Council stopped these privileges at the end of the 20th century – how and why they could do this is a mystery. I can only think that local townspeople were not able to raise enough town support- thank goodness for social media these days then!
In 1855 it was decided by the Town Council to move the market to a new purpose built building- now aptly call NewMarket Buildings on the corner of Listley Street. Once again the Town Council got it wrong….. The market traders refused to move except for one old dear who sold butter and eggs. The chief magistrate rode his horse up and down the High Street brandishing his whip among the packed stalls, scattering produce and exhorting the stall holders to move indoors to the beautiful Italianate building at the end of the High Street. Legal challenge followed with by-laws on the question of moving the market were pronounced as ” bad in substance and form” The committee were said to have ” exceeded their jurisdiction ” in passing them and were told they should have obtained the consent of those who had prescriptive rights of stalls and privileges in the streets, as well as other powers and privileges. The Town Council’s covered market idea was a flop, and the Saturdays open air market – an untidy and picturesque and traditional feature of the old town continued as before. NewMarket buildings was eventually sold for a song. Nowadays it holds Costa Coffee but if you look above it is in a state of disrepair and a dormitory for pigeons. Both are issues that needs to be addressed. Town Council or absentee landlord ???? Anyone know?
Of course, this wasn’t the end to the Town Council’s wish to take over the market. The challenge to the market in 2013 with a letter to the traders and a report by Graham Wilson Chief Executive of the National Association of British Market Authorities was commissioned to write a report for the Council. This was funded by the taxpayer but was kept secret from them.
Bridgnorth’s Saturday Market would be difficult to change. Owners of houses in High Street have the right to charge a nominal stallage rent to those occupying the area immediately in front of their premises. This charge is at the discretion of the householder and as such it varies. Some smallholders have been there for many years. I will end by quoting Nick Bromley’s dad who sent a poem to the BJ in 2013
We’ve traded on Bridgnorth market for 58 years
It’s not always been easy, we’ve shed a few tears
We built up a trade with trust and goodwill
Our customers are friends not a ding on the till
There’s always been plenty of laughter, banter and cheek
That’s why they come back to see us each week
Folk travel for miles our produce to seek
With its stalls of all sizes, our markets unique
Lots of businesses have built up over time
They stand here each week, come rain or come shine
The different sized stalls suit all of their needs
You need more room to sell veggies than packets of seeds
Now we’ve a Town Clerk who’s come from the city
Who thinks a row of small stalls would look rather pretty
I can’t think of anything they could do to us worse
They’ve obviously got no idea of commerce
Our market is Chartered thanks to King John
But the councils lost our copy – evidence gone?
No, all is not lost, our rights are decreed
High Street shops have stallage rights in their Deeds
How can the Council take over our sites
Surely its wrong if they don’t own the rights
It’s time they stood back and looked at their position
Thousands of people have signed a petition
The Council found £60,000 to enhance our town
It should be spent on the Town Hall before it falls down
Leave the market alone it doesn’t need to be revived
For nine hundred years it’s worked and survived
Thank you. Les Bromley
Says it all – doesn’t it!!!
