The Greyhound

For many years the Greyhound, the market and the auction have been almost synonymous. How that began is not really known, but certainly from 1956 when Noel Abel took over the auction and later Tyrone Roberts in 1974 the market with its accompanying auction has flourished.

At one time the Greyhound yard held pens for small livestock. The “stones” at the front of the Greyhound still draw large crowds for the Saturday auction.

The Greyhound and the Saturday auction on the Stones, 1960s

Originally called Ye Bell and then the Blue Bell, it changed its name to The Greyhound around the beginning of the 19th century in honour of the Earl of Orford from Houghton Hall who made it his headquarters when he organised the very first gentlemen’s hare coursing society in 1776 – the precursor of greyhound racing.