Trowbridge Market House was built in 1861 and was paid for by William Stancomb, the Lord of the Manor of Trowbridge at the time. Unlike the later Town Hall, the Market House was not gifted to the people of the town but rather run as a business. This continued until 1892 when it was sold to the Local Health Board for £4000 (£430,718 today).
Attributed to C. E. Davis it was originally a 3 story, stone building in Italinate style with gabled central attic. Now the building facade is the only thing that remains of the once grand Market Hall. It opened to the public on 30th September 1862. At the time it must have been one of the most grand buildings in the town and quite a sight to see.
On the back wall of the building was two large arched windows and a very large round window which let in lots of light. The roof was made of steel and glass. The hall held concerts, festivals and meetings as well as markets. Below is an image of a music festival hosted in the hall in 1910.
There was a period of inactivity in the hall but in 1882 Trowbridge market was held again for first time in years with ‘several hundred head of stock including oxen, sheep and pigs’ to be sold. Below is a picture which shows the cattle market that was held to the rear of the building in what is now the upper park of the Peoples Park.
The building saw continued use and in 1952 renovations took place with new covered buildings with all modern amenities being added. The story would not continue to be positive though and by 1958 there were discussions about possibly closing the hall but the decision was made to keep it. This was not to last though and in 1973 the glass roofed hall was demolished to make way for a new shopping precinct – Castle Place. The photograph below shows the extent of the old hall before it was demolished.
