Shambles, Shepton Mallet

This article is about shambles in the town of Shepton Mallet in Somerset. For other uses, see Shambles (disambiguation).

Shambles, Shepton Mallet
Colour photograph of the restored Shambles in the Market Place at Shepton Mallet. The bench and curved roof trusses are made of oak, and the floor is made of local stone and is brown in colour. The roof is constructed from red pantiles. Modern shops can be seen in the background.
Shambles at the Market Place
TypeMarket stalls
LocationMarket Place, Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England
Coordinates51°11′27″N 2°32′47″W / 51.190795°N 2.5464329°W / 51.190795; -2.5464329
HeightCountertop 1 metre (3.3 feet) from ground
Foundedc. 1450
Demolished
  • 1863 (south)
  • 1919 (north)
Restored1919 (as a monument)
Architectural style(s)Middle Ages timber framing, with 20th century restoration
Governing bodyShepton Mallet town council
Listed Building – Grade II
Official nameShambles
Designated20 May 1952 (72 years ago) (1952-05-20)
Reference no.1173341
SHER[a]24914
Shambles, Shepton Mallet is located in Somerset
Shambles, Shepton Mallet
Location of Shambles, Shepton Mallet in Somerset

The Shambles (/ʃˈæmbəlz/ ⓘ) is a Grade II listed monument located in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, England. It is a 20th century reconstruction of butcher's market stalls that once lined the market place at Shepton Mallet. These stalls came to be known as "shambles", a term derived from the Middle English: fleshammels, lit. 'flesh shelves'. These shambles used curved roof timbers that have suggested a construction date of c. 1450. The same timbers were used in other roofs for that period, for example, the Tithe Barn at Doulting, Somerset.

The shambles came to be regarded as unhygienic, and consequently, calls were made for them to be removed. They fell gradually into disuse, and those on the south side of the market place were removed in 1863. In 1919, the town council removed the remaining shambles from the north side. In the same year, a trust was established to reconstruct three bays of shambles, and in October of that year, these bays were re‑erected in the market place. Despite later substantial reconstruction and replacement, the monument is believed to be the last example of a shambles that remains in England from the Middle Ages.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference SHER 24914 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).