The Moot Hall

This Gatehouse guarded the Hall of the Archbishops of York. The were Lords of the Manor of Hexham for nearly 500 years until 1545. These were troubled times on the Scottish borders. This late mediaeval  tower was heavily fortified with three sets of doors, overhanging parapets and murder holes. In the first-floor courtroom the Archbishop’s Bailiff administered justice. From the raised dais he heard pleas, settled disputes, delivered judgements and consulted with tenants.

In later centuries the gatehouse became the setting for the Quarter Sessions of county magistrates and for meetings of the town’s Borough Courts. Since then it has been know as the Moot Hall.*

The Moot Hall

This drawing shows the possible appearance of the Archbishop’s Hall in about 1450. The two larger buildings, the Moot Hall on the left and the Old Gaol on the right, still remain.*

The Old Gaol

*From a signboard next to the Moot Hall.

4 Comments CherryPie on Nov 28th 2015

4 Responses to “Hexham – The Moot Hall”

  1. Gee brick workers must kept busy.

    Coffee is on

  2. Oh… I’ve seen the one in Aldeburgh, Suffolk.
    Also known as the Moot Hall.