List of markets in London

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This is a list of markets in London. Greater London is home to a wealth of covered, outdoor and street markets. Many specialise in a particular type of goods or sell different things on different days. Most open very early in the morning and close early or late afternoon.

Markets in London have their origins in the middle ages and ancient charter; set up to serve the population of the City of London. Over time, some emerged as wholesale markets serving specific market segments — such as the sale of vegetables, meat, or fish. With an expanding metropolis in the 18th and 19th centuries, street markets were set up to meet the needs of the new suburbs. With the introduction of trams on the streets of London, these were moved (sometimes forcibly) into neighbouring side streets, or new covered markets.[1]

The modern markets are regulated by the City and 32 London boroughs. Many have become 'general markets' serving a range of goods.[1]

Wholesale markets

Smithfield Market is the main meat wholesale market for London.

These markets have ancient origins and connections with the City of London. Some have moved from their original locations within the city boundaries but most continue to be operated by the City of London Corporation. Their previous sites have :[2]

  • New Covent Garden Market is the largest fruit, vegetable and flower market in the UK. With over 200 businesses, employing over 2,500 people, the Market supplies 40% of the fresh fruit & vegetables eaten outside of the home in London and is used by 75% of London florists.[3] With a large range of food businesses, including traditional wholesalers, wholesale distributors and food processors, NCGM serves many of London’s best restaurants and hotels, cafés and bars, schools, hospitals and work places as well as independent retailers and street markets.
  • Borough Market is located in The Borough, just south of London Bridge. The market was established on London Bridge and is first recorded in 1014. It has been in several locations, but moved to its present site in 1870. It was owned by the City Corporation and was transferred to an independent trust in 1999.[4] It still operates as a wholesale market, but when this closes it sells a wide range of sundry food items.[1] Hours: Monday-Tuesday hot lunches: 10-5, Wednesday-Thursday full market 10-5, Friday full market 10-6, Saturday 8-5, Sunday closed. Its increasingly up-market style is very popular with locals and tourists alike.
  • Old Billingsgate Market, a fish market, relocated in 1982[5] to Billingsgate Market, Poplar.[6] The original elegant building facing the river is now used as a hospitality and events venue.
  • Leadenhall Market, a food-centred market, continues to operate with many of the market spaces converted to retail outlets.[7]
  • Smithfield Market is a meat market that was originally a live cattle market.[8]
  • Spitalfields Market, a food market which relocated in 1991[9] to New Spitalfields Market, Leyton.[10] The original market site is still used as a market selling fashion, art and design, food and vintage goods and is part of a revival of the surrounding area.

Notable markets

These are other wholesale markets and those popular with tourists, mainly in Central London:

  • Brick Lane Market, at the northern end of Brick Lane and along Cheshire Street in East London. The market developed in the 17th century for fruit and vegetables. With the arrival of Jewish immigrants, it began to operate on Sundays.[11] Today, it sells food and general bric-a-brac, on Sundays.
  • Brook Green Market and Kitchen, based at Addison Primary School in Brook Green, Kensington and Olympia, the market founded in 2014 is like a traditional Farmers Market but with certain innovative additions including Interactive Cookery Masterclasses, Live Music and craft alcohols.
  • Camden Lock Market, usually referred to simply as "Camden Market", is next to Regent's Canal in Camden Town, northwest London. It sells general goods, music, collectables, military-surplus, jewellery, incense, clothing and a wide variety of fast-food.[1]
  • Camden Passage Market, on Islington High Street and Camden Passage, has its origins in the 1960s when small shop and stall holders banded together to form the market.[12] Two markets deal in antiques and collectables. Wednesdays and Saturdays are good to visit for the antiques, Thursday is the book market, more recently fashion/accessories stalls come on Fridays and mixed craft/fashion/antiques on Sundays.
  • Inverness Street Market, for over 100 years Inverness Street Market has been a traditional street market, with stalls selling fruit and vegetables. Also situated in Camden Town, it now has many more stalls selling clothes, trinkets and other cheap products.[14]
  • Jubilee Market at The Piazza, Covent Garden, is at the Jubilee Hall, which houses the market, and has a wide variety of arts and crafts stalls, jewellery and clothing, antiques and general market items. Open every day of the week. General Market: from Tuesday to Friday from 10am to 7pm. Arts and Crafts Market: Saturday & Sunday from 10am to 6pm. Antiques Market: every Monday from 5am to 5pm.
  • Petticoat Lane Market is located on Wentworth Street and Middlesex Street in east London, and sells clothing, luggage and a wide range of cheap consumer items.
  • Piccadilly Market was established in 1981 and operates six days a week in the courtyard of St James's Church, Piccadilly. Mondays: Food Market, 11-5pm, run by Shepherds Markets. Tuesdays: Antiques and Collectables Market, 10-6pm. Wednesday - Saturday: Arts and Craft Market, 10-6pm.
  • Old Spitalfields Market is located on Commercial Street in east London. Spitalfields Market is one of London's busiest areas on Sundays with hundreds of market stalls specialising in fashion, art, crafts, design and food. Old Spitalfields Market[19] is located in the original, historic Victorian Market Hall built in 1887 and the new Traders Market[20] is in the redeveloped western end of the site, on Crispin Street. Old Spitalfields Market is open 7 days a week, with the busiest days at the weekend.
  • Islington Farmers' Market was the first Farmers' Market in London. Having had a number of different locations since it first opened, it is now held every Sunday at the Penton Street end of Chapel Market, N1, close to Angel tube station.

Other markets

These markets tend to be less visited by tourists but are used regularly by local residents. Some are of a comparable size to the more renowned markets:

East Street Market

Former markets

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Off street markets (20th century London, Museum of London) accessed 30 September 2009
  2. Markets (Corporation of London) accessed 30 September 2009
  3. New Covent Garden Market website
  4. History of Borough Market (Official website) accessed 30 September 2009
  5. History of Billingsgate (Corporation of London) accessed 30 September 2009
  6. Billingsgate Market (Corporation of London) accessed 30 September 2009
  7. Leadenhall Market (Corporation of London) accessed 30 September 2009
  8. Smithfield Market (Corporation of London) accessed 30 September 2009
  9. History of Spitalfields (Corporation of London) accessed 30 September 2009
  10. New Spitalfields Market (Corporation of London) accessed 30 September 2009
  11. Rachel Lichtenstein On Brick Lane (Penguin, 2008) ISBN 0-14-101851-8
  12. Folder/aboutus.htm Camden Passage (Official website) accessed 30 September 2009
  13. Bethnal Green: Building and Social Conditions from 1837 to 1875, A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 11: Stepney, Bethnal Green (1998), pp. 120-126. accessed: 30 September 2009
  14. Inverness Street Market>
  15. New Covent Garden Market (Covent Garden Market Authority) accessed 1 October 2009
  16. The Covent Garden Market (In and around Covent Garden) accessed 1 October 2009
  17. History of Greenwich Market (Greenwich Hospital Trust) accessed 1 October 2009
  18. Portobello Market (Portobello Market) accessed 1 October 2009
  19. "Old Spitalfields Market" (Official website) accessed 17 March 2011
  20. "Spitalfields Market" (Spitalfields E1) accessed 15 May 2010
  21. http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=charlotte+street&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&hq=&hnear=Charlotte+St,+London+W1T,+United+Kingdom&ll=51.51355,-0.128521&spn=0.001078,0.005193&z=18&layer=c&cbll=51.513573,-0.128745&panoid=hluCBt8_SK573wE2BN-E0Q&cbp=12,74.45,,0,8.07
  22. http://weareccfm.com/locations/herne-hill/
  23. http://www.kerbfood.com/kings-cross/
  24. http://www.northcoteroadantiques.co.uk/
  25. http://www.designersmakers.com
  26. http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgsl/601-650/616_markets_information_for_vi.aspx
  27. http://www.realfoodfestival.co.uk/markets/real-food-market-at-southbank-centre
  28. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links