Monument record MDR5859 - Market Hall and Moot Hall (site of), Church Street, Alfreton
Type and Period (2)
- MOOT HALL (Medieval to Tudor - 1200 AD to 1530 AD)
- MARKET HALL (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
In 1915, all that was left of the Old Moot-Hall at Alfreton, occupying an island site in the market-place, was pulled down. It had been a part brick and part stone building, within which 'lay hidden amid many seventeenth or eighteenth century additions the remains of the ancient Market-Hall or Court-House'. (1)
The site is now a small car park with war memorial. (2)
The Market Hall formerly stood across the head of the market place, but was demolished in 1915 to improve the flow of traffic. It had previously been the Moot Hall, until the Assembly Rooms were built for the County Court and Magistrates Court, and may have stood on the site of a medieval Moot Hall. The earliest reference to it is in 1646, when it is described as ‘a messuage standing upon the market place of Alfreton, comprising three chambers together towards the said market place’. On its demolition, the building was examined by Stevenson (Authority 1). The original was found to be the northern portion of the building, later additions having been made on the southern side to convert it to business or residential use. Examination suggested the earlier building had been half-timbered, three-bays in length, the western two of which had an excavated basement, possibly a prison. Stevenson suggested the easternmost ground floor bay had been a separate room, which had included a fireplace, leaving the two western bays as a single area with an oak column in the centre, ‘the whole more or less open to the market itself, serving as a covered market …’. The court-room would have been on the first floor. (3)
Sources/Archives (3)
- <1> SDR7842 Article in serial: Stevenson, W. 1916. 'The old court-house at Alfreton', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Volume 38, pp 127-130.
- <2> SDR6333 Personal Observation: F1 FRH 27-JUL-66.
- <3> SDR19930 Unpublished document: Stroud, G. 1999. Extensive Urban Survey: Alfreton. Archaeological Assessment Report.. p 14, Component 5.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 4091 5575 (16m by 20m) (Centre) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | ALFRETON, AMBER VALLEY, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR1430
Please contact the HER for details.
External Links (0)
Record last edited
Jun 19 2015 3:50PM