| The Square was called
the Sheep Market until the late 1800s and has been the setting for
markets, fairs, parades and public gatherings for centuries. The sale of
cattle, sheep and other animals was moved from the Square to the new
cattle market in Springfield Street in 1903, and the stalls of the
general market moved to a new hall in Northampton Road in 1938. The War
Memorial to 254 Harborians killed in the First World War (1914-1918) was
designed by W Talbot Brown and dedicated in September 1921. It was paid
for by public subscription, the residue used to fund the Memorial Wing
of the Cottage Hospital in Coventry Road. In modern times, the Square is
still used for stalls on occasions like the Carnival and Late Night
Shopping. Next to the late seventeenth century Welland House are the
wrought iron gates of the Memorial Gardens. Welland House is now the
headquarters of the Market Harborough Building Society founded in 1870,
and one of the oldest building societies in the country. The splendid
three storey building, now a bank, was built in 1876 and called
Catherwood House. It was the home of William Bragg, who had a chemist s
shop in the town.
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