How the market evolved
The market was the precursor to everything Chippy has today.
Initially a jumble of animals and wares, the market became more organised over time with regular stalls and plots for merchants to sell their livestock, produce and goods.
This meant tents for the stall holders and pens for the sheep and cattle. Once these were in place, the town centre really started to take shape with permanent plots for market stalls.
Traders graduated from paying weekly fees for plots to paying rent for shop fronts which emerged along with accommodation, cottages and coaching houses.
Tolls were applied on market days. The Market Bell rang at noon to kick off the trading, with penalties handed out if anything was sold beforehand.
Two pinch points were established for the collection of tolls – Spring Street by the Chequers and Horse Fair by the Blue Boar – both in conveniently narrow streets which made the tolls easier to collect and harder to evade.
