THE Wiltshire town which boasts a 15th century Market Cross now has a weekly market – five months after its predecessor, which opened once a fortnight, finally petered out following 12 years of trading.

There was a large turn-out when the new Malmesbury Artisan and Farmers Market was launched by the Mayor John Gundry on Friday, the day after the town pioneered a free parking scheme.

Both initiatives are aimed at securing the prosperity of ancient Malmesbury as a retail destination of the future.

Officially opening the market on a bright and sunny morning Councillor Gundry said: “This is a fantastic new market. I’m sure I will become a regular customer myself.”

He added: "I fully support any initiative, such as this, to bring more people into our town centre and increase trade.”

Located around The Market Cross, which dates to 1490, the new venture combines fresh local produce including artisan breads, organically grown fruit and vegetables, and preserves, cheeses and pies with assorted locally made crafts and products such as hand-crafted stationery, wood products, handmade soaps.

Opening every Friday from 9am-3pm, it replaces the Malmesbury Farmer’s Market which closed in March after it had become “a victim of its own success” with other shops in town stocking local produce.

The new market follows a link-up between the Malmesbury Town Team, formed to protect and improve the vitality of the town centre, and Oxford Markets.

Town Team spokesman Gordon MacPherson said that despite the collapse of the old market, feedback from a major survey last year strongly indicated that people in Malmesbury want their own market.

He said: “We are delighted to announce a new Artisan and Farmers Market in Malmesbury and are very keen to have as many local businesses involved as possible.”

He said that Oxford Markets had a successful track record running local markets. “They provide valuable professional support to establish the licence and planning required. The on-going plan is for the market to be managed locally.”

The new market now offered “an exciting array of produce and products at great prices,” that would attract more visitors to the town centre and encouraging them to visit town retailers,” he said.

“Public markets are not just places where commercial trading takes place, they help to grow and connect rural and urban economies.”

Mr MacPherson added that Fridays were chosen following research and canvassing which concluded that “Saturdays represented a risk to weekend retail trade and Sundays had too little footfall.”

Featuring around ten stalls, the market has the capacity to grow to 15.

Its opening came the day after a new free parking scheme was pioneered in Malmesbury whereby visitors are allowed two hours free parking at the Station Road Car Park.

The previous market had been run in the town by Wiltshire Farmer’s Market Association on the second and fourth Saturday of the month.

They called it a day after the number of traders had slumped from a height of around 15 to just two or three during early 2015.