Brief history of Walsall markets
In 1412, William Rufus, Lord of the manor of Walsall was granted the right to hold a weekly Market on Mondays and an annual Fair on St Matthew's Day and its eve (20 and 21 September). In 1417, Richard Earl of Warwick and Lord of the Manor of Walsall was granted a weekly Market on Tuesdays and also two Fairs every year on the Feast of St John (6 May) and another on the Feast of Simon and Jude (28 October).
By 1818, the Directory of Staffordshire listed Walsall as having the second largest Market in the country; which mainly consisted of a pig market and dealt with as many as 2000 pigs per day.
In 1864, the Market Bell was positioned outside the Guildhall. The bell was used to signal the closing of the market and, once the bell had chimed, stallholders were given an hour to clean up and leave. At this time the bell rang at 10.00pm, but the time was brought forward to 8.00pm during World War One.
By the end of the First World War, Walsall Market dealt in horses and cattle and following the end of the Second World War, trading was brought forward once again to 6.00pm.
In 1997 Walsall Market was completely refurbished at a cost in excess of £700,000 and a new Market Bell was erected on the corner of Lower Hall Lane at a cost of over £13,000. The bell is now electronic and can be still be heard tolling at the start and close of the market.
Contact us
Telephone 01922 721139
Email marketsadmin@walsall.gov.uk