Walsall Guild Hall

I'm still amazed at my ignorance of the history of the town where I live.  I'd gone out to collect a new Roman blind for our landing and took the camera, thinking I might take some photographs of the parish church which sits on the hill overlooking the town.  Then I headed down the steep slope of High Street and took this photograph of the guild hall.

There is a plaque on the right hand side.  It tells passers by that this is the third hall to have been erected on this site (1867).  Its history is much older than that, with mention that the market had been held outside the earliest guild hall since 1220.  I worked for Walsall Council in the early 1980s and the market was held in high esteem.  I remember my manager taking me to one side and impressing on me the importance of this fact, something a young, newly qualified health officer took to mean not to cause any problems while carrying out food inspections at market stalls!