MARKET PLACE


Gainsborough market place

Gainsborough market place showing the town hall which was built following the demolition of the old Moothall, originally the home of Gainsborough prison, in 1892. The town hall itself was originally confined to the right-hand side of the new building, the remainder being shops and a butter market.

This building sustained war damage in 1942 and was rebuilt to the design that remains to the present day.


View from the market place, looking down Silver St.

Many of the buildings are still recognisable today, although the shop fronts have been modernised.

 

Market place in 1954
Notice that although the town hall was damaged in the Second World War, rebuilding had not yet taken place. If you look carefully at the building between the two market stalls, you can just see two struts supporting the facade.
Repairs to the town hall have now been completed.


Market place in 1960

The town hall building as it appears today. The ground floor is now entirely taken over by shops, but the basic facade survives. The upper floor is now The Sands, a quality venue for dining and live concerts by well-known jazz musicians.

With many thanks to Norman Brown for lending me his collection of photographs.