A medieval market hall stood at the junction of Heol Maengwyn Street, Hoel Penyrallt Street and Heol Pentrerhyden. However, Sir William-Watkins demolished this and built a new hall on the site in 1783. The hall was a two-storey building with a hipped roof of Welsh slate, above which was a central clock tower. The lower floor was a covered market area, with four semi-circular archways to the front and rear elevations. The public space above had panelled sash windows above the arches. The space was used for meetings of manorial and magistrates courts.
Machynlleth's Town and Market Hall was demolished in 1874 to make way for the Clock Tower (NPRN 32925) erected to commemorate the coming of age of Charles Stewart Vane-Tempest, Viscount Castlereagh, of Plas Machynlleth. A second Town and Market Hall was built on the opposite side of the road (see NPRN 421014) but also demolished in 1968.

Event and Historical Information:
A weekly market has been held in Machynlleth since 1291, drawing farmers and craftsmen from the surrounding valleys and mountains to sell their produce. These included the porthmyn (sheep and cattle drovers), tanners, wool-staplers and sellers of traditional Welsh cloth (brethyn). A document dated 1632 reveals that animals for sale came from all over Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire, Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire and Denbighshire, with prospective buyers coming from Flintshire, Radnorshire, Brecknockshire, Herefordshire and Shropshire, in addition to the above. Around 1900, there were 15 annual fairs, not counting the Christmas Fair. Four were for sheep only. Cattle were sold at 8 fairs and horses at 9 fairs. Many of these sheep and cattle were destined for the Smithfield market in London after three weeks of walking the traditional drove roads. The last Welsh porthmyn were David Isaac and John George from Ceredigion. Both did business at Machynlleth market between 1911 ? 1932. Their sheep were driven from pens near Pont-ar-Ddyffi to Aberhonddu (Brecon). On 1 November 1854, George Borrow on his tour of Wales met an attorney preparing to defend a tenant of Lord Vane accused of spearing fish belonging to Sir William Watkins. Borrow's curiosity was piqued when he met the felon - `a small, mean, wizzened-faced man of about sixty, dressed in a black coat and hat, drab breeches and gaiters, and looking more like a decayed Methodist preacher than a spearer of imperial salmon?. Borrow subsequently attended the trial upstairs in this building and immortalised the attorney and his client in his work, Wild Wales, published 1862.

RCAHMW, June 2015.