Old Market Hall

The Old Market Hall is the Elizabethan building that dominates The Square at the heart of Shrewsbury. Built in 1596 of local sandstone with open arcades on the ground floor, it is one of the best-preserved market halls in England. The ground floor originally housed market stalls protected from the weather; the upper floors served as council chambers, a court, and later a grammar school.

The building now operates as an independent cinema (OMH) and event venue, maintaining the tradition of mixed civic and cultural use. The Square in front of it is the main gathering point for Shrewsbury's twice-weekly market (Tuesdays and Saturdays), a butcher, bread, and general goods market that has been held here for centuries. Around Christmas, the square hosts the largest Christmas market in the West Midlands region.

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A story
The Old Market Hall was built in 1596 on open pillars so that market traders could shelter their goods beneath the ground floor while civic functions took place in the rooms above. This arrangement — trading beneath, council chamber above — was standard practice in Elizabethan market towns and has largely vanished elsewhere. In Shrewsbury it has been in continuous use in various forms since construction.