Home » Markets of London
Category Archives: Markets of London
London Markets: Leather Lane Market
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Leather Lane is considered one of London’s oldest markets, it has been said there has been a market here for 400 years. The history of the market is shrouded in mystery but Leather Lane has a long history going back to the 14th century although called a variety of different names.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
John Stow in his Survey of London (1598) calls the road Lither Lane “Then higher is Lither lane, turning also to the field, lately replenished with houses built, and so to the bar.”
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
In the 19th century, Leather Lane was right in the middle of what was know as “Little Italy”, a colony of Italians which included a number of skilled craftsman and political refugees.
Photo – Old and New London: Volume 2. London, 1878.
Beasant and Mitton’s The Fascination of London in 1903 gives us a little more information about the Leather Lane market. “It is one of the open street markets of London, lined with barrows and coster stalls, and abounding in low public-houses. The White Hart, the King’s Head, and the Nag’s Head, are mentioned by Strype, and these names survive amid innumerable others. At the south end a house with overhanging stories remains; this curtails the already narrow space across the Lane.”
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Like many London street markets, Leather Lane has needed to change with the times and although it has the more traditional fruit and veg and a few clothes stores, the vast majority of the stalls and the shops along the lane are geared to food.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
Leather Lane market has become predominately a weekday lunchtime market catering for locals and the large number of office workers who work in the area.
© 2019 Visiting London Guide.com – Photograph by Alan Kean
The range of food covers a number of international cuisines including Thai, Lebanese, Japanese and Indian.
Address: Leather Lane, Holborn, London EC1N 7RJ
Opening Times: Mon to Fri 10am-3pm
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Leadenhall Market in the City of London
Leadenhall Market is located in the City of London and occupies a site that was once at the centre of Roman London.
In the early 14th century, the site was within the Manor of Leadenhall which belonged to Sir Hugh Neville. It was around this time that it developed a market for poulterers and cheesemongers.
The famous Lord mayor Richard ‘Dick’ Whittington gave Leadenhall to the City in 1411 and the market grew considerably to provide a site for selling poultry, grain, eggs, butter, cheese, herbs and other foodstuffs. Over the next 200 years Leadenhall Market attracted markets for wool, leather and cutlery.
Rudolf Ackermann, Leadenhall Market 1808
Although Leadenhall Market only suffered slight damage in the Great Fire of 1666, it was partially rebuilt as a covered structure and was divided into the Beef Market, the Green Yard and the Herb Market.
Andries Scheerboom 1865, Guildhall Art Gallery – Photo City of London Corporation
In 1881 the City’s architect Sir Horace Jones redesigned Leadenhall Market replacing the earlier stone structure with wrought iron and glass structure which in 1972 was given Grade II heritage listed status.
Leadenhall Market 1895
The Poultry Market remained at Leadenhall until the 20th century and the market was famous for the sale of meat, poultry and fish. However, by the mid-20th century the shops began to be used for general retailing and by the 21st century, the meat market had disappeared and Leadenhall Market had evolved into one of the City’s upmarket shopping centres.
A common saying is that Leadenhall Market is famous for Tom, Dick and Harry.
During the 19th century ‘Old Tom’ was a celebrated character in Leadenhall. He was a gander who managed to escaped being slaughtered at the market. He became a local celebrity until his death in 1835 at the age of 38, he lay in state in the market and was buried on the site.
Dick is famous former Lord mayor Richard ‘Dick’ Whittington who gave Leadenhall to the City in 1411.
Harry is Harry Potter, Part of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was filmed in Leadenhall Market in 2000/2001. The market was used to represent the area of London leading to the wizarding pub The Leaky Cauldron and magical shopping street Diagon Alley.
Leadenhall Market is one of the most attractive old fashioned Victorian markets and is full of shops and other attractions.
Our Video Review available here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Southbank Centre Food Market
The Southbank Centre Food Market showcases some of the best street food and produce in the capital. With a variety of top products and flavours, the market is a great place to have a bite to eat if you are visiting the many attractions on the South Bank.
You will find the market behind the Southbank centre in the Square each weekend including bank holidays.
Opening hours
Friday, 12 noon – 8pm
Saturday, 11am – 8pm
Sunday, 12 noon – 6pm
Monday (bank holidays only), 12 noon – 6pm
See Video Review here
For more information, visit the Southbank website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Southbank Centre Book Market
Anyone looking for second-hand and antique books will find a wide selection for sale at the Southbank Centre’s Book Market. The market takes place under the Waterloo Bridge on Queen’s Walk, and is a delightful place to browse or find those unusual and out of print books.
It is one of the few outdoor second-hand and antique book markets in southern England and is open daily.
The market is held on long trestle tables which allows customer’s to take their time looking at the large number of paperbacks and hardcover on display.
See Video Review here
For more information about the Book Market, visit the Southbank Centre website here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Review : Camden Market
The Camden markets are a number of markets in Camden Town centred around Camden Lock, a wide range of items are sold including crafts, clothing, bric-a-brac and fast food. Camden Market is one of London’s most popular visitor attraction attracting around 100,000 people each weekend.
One of the original markets in Camden Town was operated in Inverness Street at the beginning of the 20th century which provided basic foodstuffs for the local population. In the 1970s, a small weekly crafts market began to operate every Sunday near Camden Lock. This market developed into a large complex of markets in a mixture of stalls and fixed premises. These markets originally operated on Sundays only, which continues to be the main trading day. Many of the traders open on Saturdays to make it a weekend market, a small number of traders in fixed premises do operate throughout the week.
The main markets include :
Camden Lock Market
Camden Lock Market is situated next to the Regent’s Canal on a site formerly occupied by warehouses connected with the canal. By the 1970s, the small crafts market became a well-known local attraction that attracted shoppers to the location. Eventually, the range of goods widened with stalls selling books, new and second-hand clothing, and jewellery, in recent years it has attracted a wide range of street food stalls.
The Stables Market
The Stables Market is located in the historic former stables and a Grade II listed horse hospital, many of the stalls and shops are located in large arches within railway viaducts. Stables Market has a number of clothes stalls, furniture and antiques.
Buck Street Market
With ‘The Camden Market’ sign over the Buck Street Market it is often considered the heart of the market, this outdoor market focusing almost exclusively on clothes.
Inverness Street Market
The oldest street market in Camden still continues to have traders selling their wares but food and vegetables stalls have almost disappeared.
The Camden markets attract large numbers of young people attracted by clothing and art pieces for alternative sub-cultures. The market has attracted independent designers and dealers specialising in unusual items especially fashion and music items. The late Amy Winehouse made her name in Camden in the various music establishments, to honour this connection, the market has a statue of the singer.
Due to the popularity of the markets, the large visitor numbers at the weekends has led to the Camden tube station to restrict Sunday afternoon access to incoming passengers only in order to prevent dangerous overcrowding of the narrow platforms. Visitors can use the nearby Chalk Farm and Mornington Crescent stations which are not subject to restrictions
Camden Market Opening Times
Camden Market is usually open every day from 10am – 6pm
Visiting London Guide Rating – Highly Recommended
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Review : Portobello Road Market
The Portobello Road market with over 1,000 dealers selling all kinds of items is one of the largest markets in London and since the late 20th century had attracted a large number of visitors from London and overseas.
The market is situated in the trendy London district of Notting Hill and is surrounded by a large number of pubs, cafes and restaurants.
The area takes it name from the Porto Bello Farm which was built-in the area which was named after the town of Porto Bello in Panama, captured by the British from the Spanish in the 18th century. For much of the 18th and 19th century, Portobello Road was a country lane in a rural area.
Gradually in the 19th century, residential development began to take place in the Portobello Road area, with a number of terraces and crescents built for the increasing numbers of wealthy people attracted to the district.
Up until the 1940s, Portobello Road market was similar to many other London markets and mainly sold food and other essential items. However after the war, traders selling antiques and bric-a-brac and antiques began to sell their wares and gradually Portobello Road Market became known as a place to pick up antiques.
In the later half of the 20th century, Portobello Road was transformed from run-down district to being to one of most affluent, fashionable and desirable areas to live in the capital. The new residents spending power attracted young fashion designers who began to trade at the market selling designer and vintage clothing.
Each day attracts different traders, Saturday is the busiest day and attracts large crowds. In the market is a large number of street food stands and plenty of live music along the trail of the market.
Saturday- main day
Full street market plus;
Antiques Arcades open
Westbourne Grove – antiques stalls between Portobello Road and Kensington Park Road
Portobello Green – more new fashion and less vintage than Friday
The market is packed with stalls from Westbourne Grove all the way up to and along Golborne Road, and across under the Westway out to Ladbroke Grove.
Friday – second busiest day
Southern Portobello Road – antiques
Middle of the market – food, new fashion, accessories, household goods
Portobello Green, North Portobello – vintage clothing & accessories, collectables, bric-a-brac
Golborne Road – bric-a-brac, furniture, food
Sunday
Portobello Green has a market selling mostly vintage clothing and bric-a-brac -no street market in Portobello or Golborne Roads.
Most cafes/shops are open + some forecourt traders at the southern end of Portobello Road.
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday
Portobello Road between Elgin Crescent and the Westway – fruit and veg, household goods, a few clothing stalls, sometimes casual stalls of vintage clothing or bric-a-brac
Golborne Road – fruit and veg, hot food
Thursday
Portobello market and Golborne market is half-day on Thursdays, with stalls closing by 1pm.
Travel
There’s a choice of two underground stations: Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City Lines) or Notting Hill Gate, which is on the Central, Circle and District lines.
Visiting London Guide Rating – Highly Recommended
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Review : Petticoat Lane Market
Petticoat Lane Market is a clothing market in East London. It consists of two adjacent street markets. Wentworth Street Market is open six days a week and Middlesex Street Market is open on Sunday only.
In the early 17th century, the area was a commercial district where second-hand clothes were sold and exchanged and became known as ‘Peticote Lane. When the Huguenots arrived it became a centre for manufacturing and selling clothes.
The late 19th Century saw the arrival of large numbers of Jewish Immigrants who settled in the area. At the end of the 19th century and early 20th century the market become an important centre for Jewish life in London.
Because the Market was generally unregulated, the local authorities often tried to close it down even to the extent in the 1930s driving police cars and fire engines up and down the market. Eventually they conceded defeat due to its massive popularity and in 1936 the rights of the market were protected by an Act of Parliament.
Many people were attracted to the ‘Lane’ for the entertainment with many traders renown for their ‘patter’, there were also a large number of ‘characters’ such as Ras Prince Monolulu who sold racehorse tips that frequented the market which added to its appeal. More recently one of the characters was entrepreneur Alan Sugar who had a stall at the market.
Although a pale imitation of its ‘glory days’, the lane is still considered one of the sights of London and still attracts large numbers of people. But if you are looking for a street name for Petticoat Lane itself you will be disappointed because in 1830, Peticote Lane’s name changed to Middlesex Street, however the old name continues to be used for the market and area.
Opening hours: Monday to Friday (8am to 4pm)
Opening hours: Sundays (9am to 2pm)
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and the latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Review – Berwick Street Market in Soho
Berwick Street was built between 1687 and 1703. However it was in the early 20th century when the street became synonymous with the fashion and textile industry. The shops and stalls were popular with young working girls shopping for silk stockings and affordable ready-to-wear fashion. Even Bloomsbury Set writer, Virginia Woolf would frequent Berwick Street Market to buy silk stockings.
Berwick Street Market is one of the capital’s oldest markets. Street trading began in the late 18th century but only received official recognition as a market in 1892.
The Berwick Street area has for centuries been a cosmopolitan district, and in the late 19th century, the Market earned a reputation for selling a wide variety of fruit and vegetables. In the early 20th century it became a destination for the foodies of their day to pick up exotic ingredients.
The modern market is an eclectic mix of stalls which includes street food, fruit & veg, flowers and fashion. Situated near Theatre’s and other entertainments it attracts a wide range of customers and is a good example of a neighbourhood market that are fast disappearing all over London.
Opening Times : Mon to Sat 9am-6pm
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and the latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in 2014, we have attracted thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Review : Brick Lane Market
Brick Lane Market has over the last decade built a reputation as one of the most eclectic and vibrant markets in London.
Although Brick Lane origins come from brick and tile manufacture in the area in the 15th century and achieved fame as a brewing area centred on the Truman Brewery in the 17th century, it is the waves of migration into the area from the 17th century that have left their mark. The French Huguenots in the 17th century were followed by the Irish and Jewish populations in the 19th century and more recently the Bangladeshi community.
To cater for these populations a series of markets developed selling meat, fruit, vegetables, clothes, animals and birds.
The modern Brick Lane Market starts from the northern end, off Bethnal Green Road to Banglatown in the south, however the main focus of the market is around The 11-acre site of the old Truman’s Brewery which has become a creative hub of the East End. Today more than 250 small, creative businesses are located here.
Brick Lane Market is really five markets in one, each with its own speciality. There is the Boiler House Food Hall, the Tea Rooms, the Backyard Market, the Sunday UpMarket, and the Vintage Market.
Backyard Market
The Backyard Market house around eighty stalls which are let to young artists and designers to showcase their work. There is a mix of independent businesses and retail outlets that cater to diverse clientele.
Boiler House
The Boiler House is the site of Brick Lane’s food hall, with 7,700 square feet of space and is home to over thirty stalls of international cuisine; the variety of dishes includes Italian, Polish, Lithuanian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Peruvian, Japanese amongst many others.
Sunday UpMarket
The Sunday UpMarket has over two hundred stalls and sell a variety of products including vintage and handmade clothing, handmade accessories, music, arts and crafts, and organic food.
Tea Rooms
The Tea Rooms, founded in 2009, is a market named for its large selection of teas and coffees and traditional baked goods as well as antiques, silk cushions, furniture, collectibles and handmade goods. It is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.[16]
Its main shop, The Vintage Emporium, is located downstairs, underneath the main cafe. It is a vintage clothing and accessories store that specializes in antiques and homeware, with all stock dating back between the Victoria Era and the 1950s.
Vintage Market
The Vintage Market is composed of stalls owned by British and European vintage specialists and offering old clothes ranging from the early 1920s to the 1990s. Also offered are accessories, vintage records, and a random collection of unique old trinkets.
The Vintage Market is open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
One of the joys of visiting Brick Lane other than the market is that attracts a wide range of visitors that adds to its general laid back appeal, there is always a number of street entertainers and the area is famous for its artistic graffiti, The most famous street artists from all around the world including Banksy have used the streets around the market for their artwork.
It is also close to Spitalfield and Columbia Road markets if you would like to include more markets on your visit.
Video Review available here
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
Review : Columbia Road Flower Market
Columbia Road Flower Market is a popular street market in East London which is only open on Sundays.
There has been a Columbia Market since 1869, however the Columbia Road flower market began as a Saturday trading market. It was moved to Sunday, by Act of Parliament, in order to accommodate the local Jewish traders. The market was popular with traders from other flower markets who could sell their leftover stock .
The market declined after the Second World War until the 1960s, however in recent years it has become very popular and is very busy later in the day.
The market operates every Sunday from 8 am to 2 pm. Traders arrive in early morning and sell a wide range of plants, bedding plants, shrubs, bulbs and freshly cut flowers at very reasonable prices.
The market also has shops selling a variety of goods and there are coffee shops and cafes.
You can always tell when you are near the market as people wander past with armfuls of flowers and plants. The narrow streets do get very crowded but the market has an atmosphere all of its own and the flower displays are attractive at any time of the year.
London Visitors is the official blog for the Visiting London Guide .com website. The website was developed to bring practical advice and latest up to date news and reviews of events in London.
Since our launch in January, we attract thousands of readers each month, the site is constantly updated.
We have sections on Museums and Art Galleries, Transport, Food and Drink, Places to Stay, Security, Music, Sport, Books and many more.
There are also hundreds of links to interesting articles on our blog.
To find out more visit the website here
London Visitors 