Market Hall

The Market Hall stands in Priory Street, Monmouth, Wales. It is an early Victorian building designed by George Vaughan Maddox. The hall was built between 1837 and 1839 as part of a larger redevelopment of the town centre. After a fire in 1963, it was partly rebuilt and housed the Monmouth Museum from 1969 to 2021. Behind the hall are the original slaughterhouses, known as The Shambles, which open onto the River Monnow. The Market Hall is Grade II listed and part of the Monmouth Heritage Trail. The hall’s construction followed a competition organised by the Borough Council. The prize of £10 was won by Maddox, who proposed a new road and a crescent-shaped Market Hall. The design featured a Greek Doric frontage with an Ionic cupola and clerestory. The Post Office occupied the building from 1874, and the Monmouthshire Beacon used the first floor for its offices and printing works. The slaughterhouses beneath were built of Old Red Sandstone with 24 slightly inclined arches for stability. Visitors today find a single-storey building with a modern rear façade overlooking the Monnow. The curved arcade of The Shambles remains intact but is unused and deteriorating. The Market Hall’s interior has housed various functions over time, including a café and council offices. The slaughterhouses retain original fittings but are not open to the public. Plans are in place to relocate the museum to new premises by 2027, with the hall to be let as commercial space.