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- For the Australian shopping centre, see Market Square, Geelong.
The market square (or sometimes the market place) is a feature of many British and other European towns. It is an open area where market stalls are traditionally set out for trading, commonly on one particular day of the week known as 'market day'.
A typical English market square consists of a square or rectangular area, or sometimes just a widening of the main street. It is always situated in the centre of the town, surrounded by major buildings such as the parish church, town hall, important shops and hotels, and the post office, together with smaller shops and business premises. There is sometimes a permanent covered market building, and the entire area is a traditional meeting place for local people as well as a centre for trade.
The largest Market Square in Europe is thought to be the Old Market Square in Nottingham, England, where folklore has it that the legendary outlaw Robin Hood took advantage of an amnesty and won the coveted silver arrow in a contest devised by the Sheriff of Nottingham.
See also
"Market square"