Market Square


Markets were first held here in 1219, and the square still bustles with traders every Tuesday and Saturday (from 8am to 4pm), when you can pick up anything from fresh fish to discount watches. The narrow lanes surrounding the square reveal their medieval specialities: Oatmeal Row, Fish Row and Silver St. The nearby 15th-century Poultry Cross is the last of four market crosses that once stood on the square.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Poultry Cross

0.05 MILES

Dating from the 15th century, the Poultry Cross is the last of four crosses that once stood on the town's market square.

2. St Thomas's Church

0.07 MILES

This stately church was built for cathedral workmen in 1219 and named after Thomas Becket. Its most famous feature is the amazing doom painting above the…

3. High St Gate

0.19 MILES

One of the narrow, ancient gates leading into Cathedral Close.

4. College of Matrons

0.21 MILES

An ornate facade and elaborate crest distinguish the College of Matrons, which was founded in 1682 for the widows and unmarried daughters of clergymen. It…

5. Mompesson House

0.23 MILES

Magnificent plasterwork ceilings, exceptional period furnishings and a sweeping carved staircase grace this fine Queen Anne (1701) building. All that made…

6. Rifles

0.29 MILES

Collections include a cannonball from the American War of Independence, Victorian redcoat uniforms, and displays on 19th- and 21st-century conflicts in…

7. Bishop's Palace

0.39 MILES

Parts of the former Bishop's Palace date back to 1220; it's now the Cathedral School.

8. Wilton House Grounds

2.86 MILES

The 22 acres of parkland and gardens of Wilton House are bordered by the rivers Wylye and Nadder, and were largely laid out by the famous landscape…