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Shambles Market

Coordinates: 53°57′34″N 1°04′50″W / 53.959316°N 1.080512°W / 53.959316; -1.080512
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Shambles Market
The Jubbergate entrance to the market
LocationYork, England
Coordinates53°57′34″N 1°04′50″W / 53.959316°N 1.080512°W / 53.959316; -1.080512
AddressSilver Street
Opening date1950s
OwnerCity of York Council
EnvironmentOutdoor
Days normally openDaily
Number of tenants86

The Shambles Market is a daily market held in the city centre of York, England. It was created in the 1950s after the clearance of a large area next to the Shambles, when large sections of the Shambles were demolished, including the entire street known as Little Shambles.[1][2]

Aerial view of the market

Until 1955 the city's main markets were in Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square. That year, the market in St Sampson's Square was closed, and the one in Parliament Street was reduced to opening only on Saturdays. The displaced market stalls were offered space in a newly cleared area between Newgate, Jubbergate and The Shambles. Today, the demolition of the historic buildings that originally stood in the place of the market is seen as insensitive, since a great deal of historic fabric was destroyed.[3]

The original intention was to name the market "Gell Garth", inspired by "Gail Garth", the mediaeval name for the area. However, it was ultimately named Newgate Market, after the nearby street.[4]

Food area of the market

The market was refurbished in 2014, at a cost of about £1,600,000.[5] It was given the new name "Shambles Market", after the most famous street in the area. The revamped market had 86 stalls, a slight increase, and seven kiosks, with most of the kiosks selling food. At the time, the City of York Council stated that the Saturday market was oversubscribed, but that there were spare stalls on other days. A section of the market can be covered with a marquee for special events, such as farmers' markets.[6][7]

Permanent stalls were constructed for sales of meat and fish, while other goods were sold from temporary stalls.[4] Stalls at the market include Cross of York, which opened in 1957 and won the national Fishmonger of the Year competition in 2020,[8] and Swain Family Butchers, which celebrated is 50th anniversary in 2022.[9][10]

References

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  1. ^ Fawcett, Bill (2013). "A Plan for the City of York (1948)" (PDF). York Historian. 30: 15.
  2. ^ Buttery, Darrell (1995). The Vanished Buildings of York. York: Maxiprint. p. 5. ISBN 1871125170.
  3. ^ "Shambles – York Civic Trust". yorkcivictrust.co.uk. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  4. ^ a b A History of the County of York: the City of York. London: Victoria County History. 1961. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  5. ^ "York's Newgate Market reopens as Shambles Market". The Press. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  6. ^ "York's revamped Shambles Market ready for opening". BBC News. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  7. ^ Titley, Chris (22 March 2015). "26 reasons why Shambles Market will change York for good". York Mix. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  8. ^ Jefferson-Brown, Nadia (27 July 2020). "Cross of York nets national Fishmonger of the Year award". The Press. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
  9. ^ Scheer, Victoria (8 June 2020). "How Shambles Market and Food Court will safely and fully reopen in York". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  10. ^ "York Outer MP supports Small Business Saturday". York. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2023.