Market town facts for kids

The city center of Colchester. Colchester is England's oldest recorded market town.

A market town is a special kind of town in Europe that was given a legal right to hold markets. This idea started a long time ago, during the Middle Ages. These towns were different from small villages and big cities because they had a special permission, often called a 'charter', to host regular markets. Even today, some towns are still called market towns, even if they don't have a market anymore, as long as they still have that old right.

What is a Market Town?
- Why were Market Towns Important?
How Towns Got Market Rights
- What a Market Charter Meant
Life in a Market Town
- Market Day Activities
- Market Crosses and Halls
Market Towns Today
Images for kids
See also

What is a Market Town?

A market town was a place where people could buy and sell goods regularly. Imagine a big outdoor shopping center, but from hundreds of years ago! These towns were given a special permission, usually by a king or a powerful lord. This permission, called a market charter, allowed them to set up a market on certain days of the week. This made them very important centers for trade and business.

Why were Market Towns Important?

Market towns were super important for many reasons:

Trade and Economy: They were the main places where farmers could sell their crops and animals. Craftspeople could also sell their handmade goods. This helped the local economy grow.
Meeting Places: Markets were not just for shopping. They were also social hubs where people from different villages could meet, share news, and even find out about jobs.
Growth of Towns: Having a market helped towns grow bigger and richer. More people moved there, and more businesses opened up.
Local Law and Order: Markets often had their own special rules and courts to make sure trading was fair and peaceful.

How Towns Got Market Rights

In the Middle Ages, a town didn't just decide to have a market. It needed official permission. This permission was usually granted by the king or queen, or sometimes by a powerful noble. They would issue a document called a charter. This charter gave the town the legal right to hold a market.

What a Market Charter Meant

Getting a market charter was a big deal for a town. It meant:

Official Recognition: The town was officially recognized as a place of trade.
Protection: The market and its traders often received protection from the law.
Income: The town could collect taxes or fees from traders, which helped fund local services.
Status: Being a market town gave a settlement higher status than a simple village.

Life in a Market Town

Life in a market town revolved around the market days. These were often busy and exciting times.

Market Day Activities

On market days, the town square or a special market area would fill up with stalls and people.

Selling Goods: Farmers brought fresh produce, meat, and dairy. Weavers sold cloth, blacksmiths sold tools, and potters sold pots.
Buying and Bartering: People came from miles around to buy what they needed. Sometimes, instead of money, they would trade goods directly.
Entertainment: Sometimes, there would be entertainers, musicians, or storytellers, making the market a lively place.
News and Gossip: It was a chance to hear the latest news from other areas and catch up with friends and family.

Market Crosses and Halls

Many market towns had special features:

Market Cross: This was a stone cross often found in the center of the market square. It was a symbol of the market's legal right and sometimes used for official announcements.
Market Hall: Later, some towns built market halls. These were buildings where traders could sell their goods indoors, protected from the weather.

Market Towns Today

Even though many towns don't have the same kind of bustling medieval markets anymore, the idea of a market town still exists.

Historic Name: Many towns still use "Market" in their name, like Market Harborough or Market Drayton. This shows their historical importance.
Modern Markets: Some market towns still hold regular markets, though they might be smaller or focus on local produce or crafts.
Community Hubs: Today, market towns often remain important local centers for shopping, services, and community events.

Images for kids

Shrewsbury market square
The market square (Marktplatz) in Wittenberg, Germany, 2005
Market cross in a market, French, c. 1400
Modern market hall in Frankfurt-Höchst, where the market dates back to at least 1356.
The Fish Market at Hastings Beach by Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1810
The Fish Market by Joachim Beuckelaer, c. 1568
London's Clare market by Thomas Shepherd, 1815
Market cross at Devizes, a market town in Wiltshire.
The Market Place, Ely, Cambridgeshire by W. W. Collins, 1908
Market hall, Invalidenstraße, Berlin, Germany
Market place, Weeze, Germany
Market place, with fountain, Schmölln, Germany
Market place, Floridsdorf, Austria, c. 1895
Hungarian fruit market, original drawing by Wilhelm Hahn, 1868
Main market street in Miskolc, 1884
Heti vásár (weekly market) at Nagykanizsa, 1901
Fish market, Bergen, Norway, c. 1890
Market and customs house, Porsgrunn, c. 1891-1910
Market square, Youngstorget Nytorvet, c. 1915-20
Norwegian market, Storfjord, Skibotn, Troms, 1917
Norwegian Market, c. 1921-35
Market (illustration), c. 1927
Traditional Winter market at Røros, 2001
Market, Tønsberg, Norway, 2010
Holyhead market In Wales, woodcut, 1840
Birmingham Market Charters 1166 and 1189
Market cross, Lambourn erected in 1446
Salisbury chartered market
Sedbergh chartered market
Market Square, Huntingdon.
Northampton Market, established in around 1255
Altrincham, Chartered Market
Corner of the market square in Horncastle, given its charter in the 13th century
Farmers' market on Monnow Bridge, Wales, 2008
Kelso Farmers Market, Scotland with cobbled square in the foreground
Square in front of St Giles' Church, Elgin, is the site of a medieval market
Orkney Auction Mart, Hatston Industrial Estate
Weekly Farmers' Market at Castle Terrace, Edinburgh
Market Scene by Pieter Aertsen, 1550
Rustic Market (Nundinae Rusticorum) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1555–56
Fish Market by Joachim Beuckelaer, 1568
At the Market by Jonge Lange, 1584
Peasants going to the market, Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1602
Vegetable market in Holland, by Sybrand van Beest, 1648
Fruit and vegetable market, Holland by Sybrand van Beest 1652
Village Market with the Quack by Cornelis Pietersz Bega, 1654
Market Scene by Jan van Horst, 1569
Flemish Market and Washing Place by Joos de Momper, first half 17th century
Market Square in Bruges by Jan Baptist van Meunincxhove, 1696
A Fish Market in a Village Square by Barent Gael, n.d. (late 17th century)
A Poultry Market Before a Village Inn by Barent Gael, n.d. (late 17th century)
Market by Alessandro Magnasco, first half 18th century
Market at Aberystwith, sepia print by Samuel Ireland, 1797
'Returning from Market', oil painting by Augustus Wall Callcott, c. 1834
The Fish market in Woudrichem by Jan Weissenbruch, 1850
Market Day at Zaltbommel by Elias Pieter Van Bommel, 1852
A market day in Bangor by John J Walker, 1856
A market scene in Constantinople by Ivan Aivazovsky, 1860
Grote Markt, Antwerp by Cornelis Springer, 1862
Town hall and market by Cornelis Springer, 1864 (detail)
Pwllheli Market in Wales, watercolour by Frances Elizabeth Wynne, c. 1866
A Moonlit Vegetable Market by Petrus van Schendel, 19th century
A Market Scene by Alberto Pasini, late 19th century
North African market by Frederick Arthur Bridgman, 1923
Market in Poltava by Vladimir Egorovich Makovsky, n.d.
Fair in Ukraine by Vladimir Makovsky, 1882