Why Melton Mowbray is a historic market town

It is believed that the right for a market to be held in Melton was probably first granted during the reign of the last but one Saxon Kings, Edward the Confessor – (1042-1066).

Following the Norman Conquest, the first Norman Lord of the manor was Godfredus (Geoffrey) de Wirce who came from the Anjou & Britany region of France.

He married a Saxon lady called Alveva, who came from neighbouring Warwickshire - she was the niece of the Earl of Leofric or Coventry, and his wife Lady Godiva.

The marriage of Godfredus and Alveva led to the signing of a document in 1077 which proves that Melton already had a thriving market.

We know that in 1077, he gave all the tithes of Melton’s market to the Abbey of St Nicholas of Anjou in Normandy.

When King William the Conqueror ordered the great survey known as the Domesday Book in 1086, very few towns in England were recorded has having a market, but Melton was one that was listed and the only one in the county of Leicestershire.

It is believed that Melton’s market is the third oldest known in the whole country.

During the reign of King Edward II in 1324, Melton was granted a formal Market Charter giving the town full Charter Rights to hold a weekly market.

On Spital End, the sheep market was held which ran the whole of the street until it was moved to Thorpe End and then to the Cattle Market in 1867.

Roughly where the old Baptist church stands on Nottingham Street as we know it today, stood the “Shepe Cross”.

At the top of Corn Hill of High Street as we know it today and the junctions of Nottingham Street and Cheapside, stands the Corn Cross and this is where the Corn Market used to be held until the building of the Corn Exchange in 1854.

The Corn Cross is a modern reproduction bult c.1996.

At this site there was a low flat topped wall known as a Corn Wall. ‘Cheapside’ is derived from the Danish word ‘chepe’, meaning to sell.

In Leicester’s market, their corn wall was used by horse dealers to display the speed of their animals.

In the Market Place stood the Butter Cross and once again, todays cross is a modern reconstruction, erected circa 1986.

This marks the site where for hundreds of years, butter and cheese was sold.

Down towards Morrisons, along Sherard street, stood the Sage Cross marking the site of the herb market.

This apparently stood opposite the Elms on Sherard Street, now the Bargain Booze/Post Office and William Hill betting office and this is where the Street Sage Cross gets its name from.

There was one other market along Sherard Street but this didn’t have a cross and this was the beast market that was held outside the Limes (Yorkshire Trading) on Sherard Street.

In 1869, the land at Spittal leys (Scalford Road) was leased to local Government Board for £50/year for 999 years. Work soon began building a new purpose-built cattle market and it officially opened in 1870.