Minehead's Town Hall forms the core of the old Market House building. The Grade II listed building was once a covered market, but is now home to a caf茅 and a retail unit with the Town Council offices on its mezzanine and upper floors, including the Council Chamber where all meetings are held. 2002 marked the centenary of the building of the Market House. Continue along the right-hand side of The Avenue and turn right into Market House Lane. On the right you will see a plaque on the terrace of houses. The Almshouses were given to the town in 1630 by master mariner Robert Quirke, whose ship ran into a storm a few days out from home in Minehead. He and his crew prayed for deliverance, vowing that if they reached home safely, the ship and cargo would be sold and the money used to help the poor.
The row of Almshouses was built on the site of the old marketplace - the stump of the market cross can still be seen today. The income for their upkeep was obtained from the leasing of two cellars on the Quay, which in 1910 became St Peter's Mission Chapel. The event of the storm is recalled on a brass plate fixed to the centre cottage. Under the inscription is engraved a three-masted sailing ship and the original ship's bell is mounted on the roof of the end house. Several memorials to the sea-faring Quirke family can be seen in St Michael's Church (on North Hill), including a set of finely lettered boards containing the Creed, Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer, presented by Robert Quirke in 1634. Continue along Market House Lane following it around the corner to the left. You will then come to Holloway Street. Turn left into Holloway Street and continue for approximately 50 metres. You should now be at the junction of Holloway Street, The Avenue (left), Friday Street (ahead) and Park Street (right). In front of you on the right-hand side of Friday Street, you will see a statue of Queen Anne. The statue of Queen Anne in Wellington Square is the work of English sculptor Francis Bird, who made a similar figure to stand outside St Paul's Cathedral in London.
It was given to the town by Sir Jacob Bancks MP in 1719 and kept at St Michael's Church until alterations in the 1890s, when it was then transferred to Wellington Squareplace. As we're discovering the town's history in this part of the Minehead Meander, it's worth mentioning the Hobby Horse. It is an ancient local tradition, which takes to the streets on the eve of 1 May each year; there has been a May festival in Minehead since 1465. At around six o'clock, the hobby horse, a kind of "dummy horse" and a symbol of fertility, is placed outside an inn. A group of musicians with drums and accordions gather outside and begin to play. Then they continue to the Hobby Horse Inn on the Esplanade, playing the Hobbyhorse Song. The horse dances down the street, occasionally trapping a bystander against a wall and butting him or her with its prow, soliciting a contribution. For women it may dip its head and tap them with its feather. Anyone who fails to give a contribution may get lashed by its tail (a long rope). The attendants also collect money from the crowd.
When the party reaches the Hobby Horse Inn, everybody stops to have a drink. On May Day itself, the horse dances through the town, meeting with and battling the town horse before making its way to nearby Dunster Castle. On 2 and 3 May, the celebrations are repeated. The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams composed a folk dance in honour of the Minehead Hobby Horse in 1912, although it was never published. If you would like more information about Minehead, you can walk 100 metres or so along Friday Street to Minehead Tourist Information Centre. The Minehead Meander continues back down the left-hand side of The Avenue. | 
Introduction