Stalybridge Saturday: Market Hall

The splendid facade of Stalybridge's Victoria Market Hall masks a shameful secret - the Market Hall no longer houses a market! While Stalybridge's market hall was never as busy as that of its neighbour, Ashton, it was always quietly buzzing and had a friendly, personal feel. However, when the council decided that the hall needed refurbishment, plans to move the stallholders to temporary premises came to nothing and the market simply shut.

The inside of the building is now a very attractive space, but no longer a market. It is used for community events but this means that the hall is empty for most of the time. Luckily the rear of the building has been made into offices and smaller meeting rooms and these are made good use of.

Outside the hall is one of the ornamental fingerposts that Tameside seems to have bought in bulk. The fingers read: North, Mossley, Ashton under Lyne, Droylsden, Audenshaw, Dukinfield, Denton, Hyde, Longdendale. The globe inside the crown lights up at night, and looks very nice, as can been seen in this photo of the one outside Ashton's Market Hall.

See Google Aerial View of this location.