A market has been held in Watford since the 12th century and for many of the years since it was located in High Street.

The Watford Observer is delighted to share pictures from the archive at Watford Museum and this week we look back at this view of Market Place.

The museum’s volunteer archivist Christine Orchard said: “The Market Place in High Street used to seem a wide-open area but it was spilt in two - half was the highway, and half the area where the market was held.

The road was still relatively narrowThe road was still relatively narrow (Image: Watford Museum) “In this photo, the horse and carriage are on the roadway which, like today, is relatively narrow.

“The Market Street side, which ran between the entrance to the church precinct and what today is Five Guys, had a cobbled surface. It also slightly sloped away from the shops as it was used for the cattle market.

How the Market Place area looked in 2018 when it was being redevelopedHow the Market Place area looked in 2018 when it was being redeveloped (Image: Google Street View)

“The traders were supposed to keep it clean but reports in the Watford Observer in the late 1800s seem to imply this was often not the case.”

Visit the Museum Facebook page or website www.watfordmuseum.org.uk to see more historic photos.