The Queen's Mace, Borough of Holt, 1709

The Queen's Mace is the larger of the two maces that once belonged to the Borough of Holt. The mace carries the arms of Queen Anne after the 1707 Act of Union. It has been repaired on at least three occasions by the following: Thomas Pate (mayor 1749-50), John Jones (mayor, 1846-60) and Edwin Bellis, 1935. The mace also carries the symbol of Holt - a lion passant.

Holt first became a borough in 1285 under a charter that was renewed in 1411 and 1563. If you lived in a borough in medieval times you had the freedom to engage in trade, own property and not pay certain taxes. In short you had more rights than people living in villages or the countryside.

Holt lost its status as a borough in 1886. The town elected its last mayor in 1883 and when a government inspector held an inquiry into giving the town a new borough charter, the townsfolk were divided and failed to convince him the town deserved to remain a borough. Consequently the town lost its borough status and later demolished its town hall.

The Holt Town Trust look after the village's historic civic regalia: two maces, a constable's staff, four halberds and the mayor's chair. The trust also administers Commonwood, the remains of a medieval common on the Holt-Borras road, which was divided into strips in the 19th century.