Long forgotten Livestock Marts

[Birkenheadfj]

The twin cupolas of the York cattle market in Paragon Street were for many years almost as distinctive a part of the York skyline as the Minster or Clifford'sTower.

Then, one day in November 1976, they were removed and put into storage. The aim was to preserve the distinctive landmarks until a new use could be found for them. But what eventually became of them is something of a mystery - one we hope readers of The Press can perhaps help solve.

After almost 150 years at Paragon Street the cattle market had already, by 1976, moved outside York to Murton. The Paragon Street site had been earmarked for development as a sports complex. These plans, however, had been shelved - prompting Peter Addyman of the York Archaeological Trust in 1976 to issue a last-ditch plea for the cupolas to be allowed to stay.

View attachment 303104 View attachment 303106 View attachment 303108 View attachment 303110 View attachment 303112

One of the cupolas was at the entrance to Beckfield Lane rubbish dump in Acomb for several years in the mid/late 1980s. That dump has now gone.

 

[hendrebc]

Someone asked a couple of pages back if theres still a market in Mold. Its still there a very good market for cattle. The only market with any decent number of prime cattle in north Wales if not the whole of Wales. Usually 100+ there every week i think. Never been myself though but know several who do.
Anyone ever go to Corwen market?

 

[Thoupow]

Every Tuesday lunchtime at high school use to sneak through the fence and go to the cattle market for lunch and a drink. Congleton cattle market now a housing estate.

We used to go there for the barren cows and cull bulls,had some laughs with the other dealers, Westons and Haydons

 

[Still Farming]

Lots on here of old Cowbridge Market ,hope won't close but only months left possibly if Vale of Glamorgan Council don't find a new site?

Cowbridge Market set to close

Sad news today that our Local "Only Market", left to close. Vale of Glamorgan Council decided last night and no indication to resite a new one allegedly? Proposed Car Park to go there ? Covered in the Farmers Guardian and BBC Wales news today also. Cowbridge will no longer be a market Town.

thefarmingforum.co.uk

 

[Thoupow]

It does seem that pictures of old markets are hard to come by and lost in the mists of time ,I used to go with Dad to,Chester ,both the old market and the newer one down Sealand rd ,Crewe,Hampton and occasionally Congleton all Cheshire auctions sadly now gone to make way for progress Also local were Wrexham and Whitchurch again gone for Development
A real good read is The fall of the hammer .a potted history of Cheshire auctions though many names are familiar to Me you don't have to be from Cheshire to get the feel of a long forgotten age
View attachment 298016

 

[Thoupow]

It does seem that pictures of old markets are hard to come by and lost in the mists of time ,I used to go with Dad to,Chester ,both the old market and the newer one down Sealand rd ,Crewe,Hampton and occasionally Congleton all Cheshire auctions sadly now gone to make way for progress Also local were Wrexham and Whitchurch again gone for Development
A real good read is The fall of the hammer .a potted history of Cheshire auctions though many names are familiar to Me you don't have to be from Cheshire to get the feel of a long forgotten age
View attachment 298016

We used to go to Crewe on Mondays, Congleton on Tuesday or leek or both,chelford Thursday Friday was either Chester or Beeston can't remember now, what markets were on ,on a Wednesday any ideas in Cheshire

 

[Thoupow]

Think this will be becoming one of my favourite threads

My grandad is mentioned in the book above and can see his bald head at the ring???

 

[Thoupow]

Anyone got any pictures of bolton market, the cattle market pub orobably had plenty of pictures inside but it burnt down a year or two ago before I got chance to get in .

Remember the pub standing on waste ground,used to go to that area everyday,if not twice a day to gills near the tannery

 

[Thoupow]

View attachment 298890
This was just opposite Chester cattle market on "Cow Lane bridge"

Only knew the sealand road market

 

[Thoupow]

Chelford and Beeston who knows what happening their.

Marshalls sold chelford for housing,they were ment to build a new market at middlewich but never appeared, Beeston closed ,no idea just not enough stock passing through as most farmers I knew were sending theirs to leek or Bakewell

 

[Thoupow]

i remember crewe mart and Brian Pennington when i was a kid it was a big set up crewe being a rail town was set up on a grid system and the mart occupied three of the grid squares the fat cattle barren cattle store cattle and pigs in one yard the office sheep and calves in the middle one and the very swanky dairy ring in the third all brick built with a dining room one side of the entrance and the bank and office on the other sale room in the center and behind two double rows of cow stalls
in those days the sheep pens were full and there were seven or eight hundred calves sold each week and the pig pens were full as time went by there were less sheep and pigs but always a lot of barren cows and calves

We used to buy slot of barren cows from there,in the 50s and 60s granddad hired a train and filled it full of big cows and bulls to be exported to Germany to feed the American army,till the winter of 63 when a train that had 300 cows and bulls on couldn't get through to hull to unload on to a ship,and they had to turn back,and take them home

 

[Thoupow]

i notice all the trucks are british built ERF/FODEN/ECT like the marts where are the lory factories gone

All gone now ERF are now MAN,and foden are DAF

 

[Thoupow]

dereliction is always sad but the loss of a mart is a loss of a way of life over the years they have been the gathering point of the farming community so many have leant on the rails and chewed the fat, for some it was the only time they would socialise its a good feeling to have a good pen of stock to show rather than just bundle them on a wagon does any one remember Don Weston he used to buy barren cows and fat stock a great man he never let anything go cheep

Yes I remember him and Les his brother,and Brian dons driver used to come to our farm on Saturday with a load of cows,and get reloaded with bulls we had got, happy days wish I'd had a camera back then ,bulls being loaded on a halter some with a old corn bag over its eyes as it kept them quiet saved you getting attacked , even then the odd one would be led out of the cow shed,only to start trotting behind who ever was leading it

 

[Hilly]

I was at a good market yesterday. Long

live the livestock auction mart !

 

[bumkin]

My grandad is mentioned in the book above and can see his bald head at the ring???

was he a Hancock ?

 

[Thoupow]

was he a Hancock ?

No Ike Powell

 

[Whitepeak]

Marshalls sold chelford for housing,they were ment to build a new market at middlewich but never appeared, Beeston closed ,no idea just not enough stock passing through as most farmers I knew were sending theirs to leek or Bakewell

Yep, old Chelford site is being built on and will soon be finished. I went past last week. Real shame as I always looked forward to a trip to Chelford as a kid.
Think the Beeston site is planned to be developed, part of the car park was built on before they closed.
Bakewell did gain a lot of stock when Chelford and Derby shut, but they seem to be loosing them slightly again. Leek have gained a lot of sheep from Chelford particularly at their fortnightly store and breeding sales, and some dairies from Beeston. A lot of the calves from beeston are going to Drayton and Shrewsbury now I think- helps that 2 young, keen, ex Wright Marshall auctioneers are at those 2 markets now.

 

[Thoupow]

Can you remember these dad drove for them in the late seventies.
View attachment 441962

Remember that name Dennis clowes

jake haydon what about the Bolton boys Arthur and Herbert any one remember them ?also cloger leech
albion trucks with wooden boxes

Used to know Arthur and Herbert,I used to live near them back in the 80s, back in the 50s60s my grandad had them hauling cows and bulls of ours to Crewe to be put on a train, Herbert did about of wedding carriage driving,you wouldn't know him ,very smart with his bowler hat on

 

[Thoupow]

Yep, old Chelford site is being built on and will soon be finished. I went past last week. Real shame as I always looked forward to a trip to Chelford as a kid.
Think the Beeston site is planned to be developed, part of the car park was built on before they closed.
Bakewell did gain a lot of stock when Chelford and Derby shut, but they seem to be loosing them slightly again. Leek have gained a lot of sheep from Chelford particularly at their fortnightly store and breeding sales, and some dairies from Beeston. A lot of the calves from beeston are going to Drayton and Shrewsbury now I think- helps that 2 young, keen, ex Wright Marshall auctioneers are at those 2 markets now.

Roy Waller has a auction near goostry selling old manchinery and veg and house hold furniture,and plants seem to be doing alright,almost forgot hey and straw sales

 

[Thoupow]

I

I demolished it in about 98/99. The one behind the houses not the one by crewe Alex football club. Shame I didn't take any pictures.
I've still got a few souvenirs from the place though

You never do do you,the sights we've all seen over the years and the names of dealers ,always thought at the time they would be around for ever