The Moot Hall, Appleby-in-Westmorland: An Architectural Investigation and Assessment of Significance
Author(s): Marion Barter, Dan Elsworth
The Moot Hall was probably built around 1596 for the Borough of Appleby, which was established by a royal charter in 1179. A re-set datestone over the south doorway is dated 1596, which accords with the findings of recent dendrochronological analysis of the oak roof trusses, which include timbers from trees felled in the period AD 1571-1596. The internal details of the roof and the masonry of the south gable end indicate that the eaves and roof were raised after the building was first built, re-using the original trusses. The date of this remodelling is not recorded but is likely to have taken place in the second half of the 17th century, when the accounts record significant expenditure and refer to a ‘newbuilding’. The Moot Hall has been in continuous use for the administration of the borough since it was built, although it has been altered and additional functions have taken place within it, over time. From the 1670s until 1773, the Westmorland Assizes were held in the upper hall, or council chamber. The chamber was also used for coroner’s inquests and for other meetings. The ground floor contained a lower hall until the second half of the 18th century, when the space was altered to provide separate shops.
- Report Number:
- 25/2018
- Series:
- Research Report
- Pages:
- 61
- Keywords:
- Post Medieval Architectural Investigation
