1855: Bolton Market Hall, designed by architect G T Robinson, opens on December 19. Measuring 294ft in length, and covering 7,000 square yards it is said to be “the largest covered market in the kingdom”. It cost £50,000.
1865: A fish market is built next to the Market Hall at a cost of £30,000.
1894: The Market Hall is modified and further alterations carried out at the turn of the 20th Century.
1932: The fish market was demolished.
1938: The layout changes with roofed stalls in tightly packed islands replacing the long rows of stalls.
1988: The refurbished mall hall becomes the Market Place shopping Centre and is opened by the Queen.
1990: Veteran stallholder Jim Dixon closes his shop in the Market Hall because, he claims, the refurbishment has ruined his trade.
1998: Sunday trading in Bolton Market Hall is suspended due to a low turnout of traders.
2000: Worrying signs for Bolton town centre and the Market Hall when it is announced that Whitehead’s store in Deansgate is about to close.
2004: Plans to convert the Market Place from a traditional stallholders site proves hugely controversial, prompting an 80,000-name petition.
2005: The plans are given the go-ahead by Bolton Council.
2007: 50 stallholders move out of the site after 151 years of trading.
2013: Market Place owners Agora Shopping Centres go into administrative receivership.
November 2013: On November 25, Moorgarth announce they are the new owners of the Market Place with plans to build a nine-screen cinema and invest up to £15 million into the project.
More on the plans for The Market Place:
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