The Moot Hall

The Moot Hall stands in Hexham’s Market Place as a medieval judicial building. It was commissioned in the 14th century by Archbishop Alexander Neville to serve as a gatehouse for an enclosure now called Hallgate. The structure mixes a four-storey tower with a three-storey annexe, both built in rubble masonry. Inside, the ground floor has a vaulted space, the first floor once held a courtroom, and the second floor contained the bailiff’s hall. The tower’s first floor shows a cusped mullioned window, while the annexe has a machicolated parapet above its windows. The building’s courtroom was the main venue for Hexhamshire’s Liberty until 1572. After Northumberland absorbed the county, the room hosted quarter sessions every midsummer until 1838. It remains one of the best-preserved medieval courthouses in northern England. In 1948, a local grocer named Joseph William Brough donated 10,000 books, which were stored here until moved to a new library in 1983. The upper floors later became offices for Tynedale District Council, then Northumberland County Council’s museums department. Visitors find an art gallery on the ground floor, hired out in the vaulted space. The first-floor courtroom still shows its original medieval features. The annexe’s windows and machicolated parapet add to the building’s historic character. The Market Place setting places it at the heart of Hexham’s daily life. The structure’s medieval design and long legal history make it a notable landmark in Northumberland.