Norwich Market bibliography
Norwich Market book

Tudor Market
In the absence of permanent stalls the market place was more than an arena for trade, it was in fact a huge public space in the heart of the community which became the focus for pageantry, celebration announcements and the odd public hanging! This was never more true than in the Tudor era.
  • Trade
  • Punishment
  • Market Cross
  • Pageantry
norwich market awning proposalDuring this period butchers were particularly numerous on the market, They were an important source of revenue for the city with stall rentals increasing fivefold between 1531 and 1535. In 1565, country butchers hired as many as 37 stalls and this number doubled within the next hundred years.

Also of note was the increasing variety of goods that were being brought into the city, these included items such as sugar, molasses, figs and prunes whilst in 1581 a cargo of 20,000 oranges and 1,000 lemons reached Norwich in time for the annual St Bartholomew’s Fair.

Unfortunately in 1590 a fire destroyed the majority of the fishmongers’ and butchers’ stalls, necessitating the sum of around £156 from the city’s “Repairs Fund” to be spent on their replacement.