MEM22250 - Market House, Porlock (Building)

A weekly market and two or three annual fairs granted in 1366 and again in 1614. Tradition speaks of a 'beautiful market house,' but where it was is not known. There was still a Market Cross in 1810 (MSO12267). On the Tithe Map of 1844 there is a small building near the Central Garage, parallel to the river, which is called the Market House. Markets disappeared c.1800, and fairs c.1870. [1] The Tithe Map for Porlock shows a rectangular building sited at SS 8858 4671 abutting and running parallel to the Hawkcombe stream. It is labelled 418, which the Apportionment describes as the "Market House". This may or may not be the market house described by Corner [1]. [2] A building is similarly shown here on the 25 inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. [3] The northern section of the building shown on the 1st Edition map still appears to remain extant on the 2022 MasterMap data; however, the southern end has been truncated, presumably to make way for the installation of petrol pumps to the south (visible on the 2017 aerial photographs [4]) and to allow vehicular access to the garage to the north (MEM22745). [5] "A very old man, now dead, could remember when the old Market House was pulled down". [6]