Barnstaple in the 16th and 17th centuries greatly benefited the town. The wealthy merchants that this trade created built impressive town houses, some of which survive behind more recent frontages—they include No. 62 Boutport Street, said to have one of the best plaster ceilings in Devon. The merchants also built several almshouses including Penrose's, and ensured their legacy by dedicating elaborate monuments to their families inside the church. By the 18th century, Barnstaple had ceased to be a woollen manufacturing town, which was replaced by Irish wool and yarn, for which it was the main landing place; the raw materials were
Guildhall, Barnstaple Row. The Pannier Market became a great success and in 1897 local historian W.F. Gardiner wrote: "The result is that Barnstaple can to-day boast of the possession of Markets such as many a county town might well envy. Indeed, Barum's Pannier Market is one of the finest in the Kingdom". Before the days of supermarkets the Pannier Market was the best place to obtain daily goods, many supplied by local farmers. Today the Pannier Market sells a wide range of goods on an almost daily basis, with occasional special days such as wedding fairs. Market days are Monday – Crafts