Melton Mowbray Town Estate

If we could visualise the Melton Market of medieval times and indeed right up to the beginning of the 19^th century, we would find each class of commodity had a different selling place around its own particular market cross. In addition to these 5 markets numerous fairs were also held throughout the year.

There were originally only two fairs, one on the Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of Whitsun week and the other one on the Vigil Day and Morrow of St. Lawrence (10^th August) continuing for eight days. These two fairs were included in the list of liberties owned by the Lord of the Manor in the reign of Edward II (1307-27). By 1902 the number of fairs had increased greatly.

Other fairs included, among others:

• The New Ram Fair on the fourth Tuesday in September
• Stilton Cheese Fairs held in April, September and December
• Annual Wool Sale started by Shoulers in June 1890
• Annual Statute Fair held at Michaelmas at the top of Burton Street

Melton Mowbray is one of a very few towns in England with a market mentioned in the Domesday Book (see below); the only one in Leicestershire and is the third oldest in the land. The market was most probably first granted in the reign of Edward the Confessor (1042-66) and there is a tradition that Leuric, son of Lewin the last Saxon Lord of Melton was granted a market at Melton by the last of the Saxon Kings. However, the oldest documentary evidence we have of it is in the year 1077. From the charter of 1324 at least, and possibly from its inception, it has been held on the same day of the week – Tuesday.

The Saturday market is at least 200 years old and the Wednesday market was introduced 20 years ago.