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The market place was situated in the centre of the town next to the castle and bridge and attracting cattle dealers, farmers, drovers, butchers, salesmen and street traders from the whole of Northumberland and the North East. 

The size and scale of this weekly market meant pens had to be set up partly fronting many of the shops, as well as utilising some of the narrow lanes and adjoining courtyards to cater for the numerous droves of cattle, flocks of sheep, and herds of swine etc. which were offered for sale,.

Tolls collected from the market were used mainly for improvements to the town, records dating back to1832 show that “Every horned beast coming into the market paid 1d;  every score of sheep, 4d;  every pig and calf, a halfpenny;  and the widows of the poor freemen had a dishful of corn for every poke set upon the pavement for sale”

Most of the livestock was brought from Northumberland and the Scottish Borders with the weekly sale of oxen averaging 200 with sheep and lambs 2,500, were principally for consumption in the Newcastle, South Shields, and Sunderland areas.  

Border cattle destined  for Yorkshire and London bypassed the northern markets, being droved south over the hills with many hooving stations in the Cheviots and Tynedale where the cattle was shod for the march south. 

In olden times, no weary traveller who wished for a sound nights sleep would dare to take up his quarters at Morpeth on a Tuesday night, as with the market which commencing so early in the morning made rest an impossibility, due to the noise and general hubbub.

The development of the railway system eventually turned the tide of fortune on the weekly market town which became a very moderate affair, with trade being centred in the locality of Newcastle.

Adjoining the Market Place is the Market Cross which was erected in 1699 and nearby in Oldgate, stands the clock or bell-tower, which according to the Monthly Chronicle of North Country Lore & Legend dated 1889 and was described as “An old isolated tower, the lower part of which contains the borough fire engines with the clock over and a fine peal of bells hung for parochial use” with the church being at some distance from the town.

There are no records readily available to suggest the exact date when the bell tower was erected, but in a deed printed under the date 1310, a ‘turriolum’ is mentioned, as well as a ‘turrellus’ in 1343. In a plan dated 1603, a considerable tower is drawn on the south side of Bridge Street, on the site of the old gaol.

It is known that the lowest floor of the tower was once a sort of Correction House or Prison of the town, to which the bailiffs continued to commit offenders against the law till after 1800, with the following interesting instance mentioned in the records of the Corporation of the mode of  punishment:- 

“On the 10^th. June 1743, Mary Clarke, sister of Sir William Brown, taken in the publick markitt place for picking the pockett of Jane Holmes of a Guinea and a half, was brought before Mr. W. Cooper and Mr. Thomas Weatherhead, the then present bailiffs; the fact being proved against her by evidence upon oath, he committed her to the Clock House, and whipted her sevearly all next day”.   Punishment was certainly quite severe in those days!!

The Market Place is overlooked and dominated by the Town Hall, which was designed and built by Sir John Vanburgh in 1714, on the site of an old toll-booth and underwent a complete rebuild in 1870, with the facade remaining an exact reproduction of Vanburgh’s original design.

The importance of Morpeth continued after the new town hall - known as County Hall was built, to become the Administrative Headquarters of the County of Northumberland with the weekly market, which is now nearly 800 years old a tradition, in Morpeth’s heritage and  still continues to this day.

St. Mary Magdalene's Church During the Millennium year every household in the village of Whalton near Morpeth, was given a camera to record what 2000 and the village meant to them. The prints were made into 2850 mosaic squares from which the Whalton Christ was created, it remains on display in the church.

Morpeth & Midford Castle by Graeme Peacock

Wallington Hall

Wallington Hall in the hands of the National Trust is a 17th Century mansion, home of the Trevelyan family, fully furnished with murals by William Bell Scott, depicting the history of Northumberland. There is also a fine collection of dolls houses and a recently rebuilt walled garden to stroll around at your leisure with tea room and gift shop.

Woodhorn Colliery Museum

Near Ashington  at Woodhorn a museum based in original pit head buildings portray the social and mining conditions of the area. Miners banners, paintings and local crafts all help to show life in the mining communities of Northumberland during the 20^th Century. There is also a display to the local Charlton brothers, famous for their international foot balling careers.