Market sights in London
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A
Borough Market
On this spot in some form or another since the 13th century, ‘London’s Larder’ has enjoyed an enormous renaissance in recent years, overflowing with food-lovers, both experienced and wannabes, and has become quite a tourist destination.
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B
Ridley Road Market
Massively enjoyed by the ethnically diverse community it serves, this market is best for its exotic fruit and vegetables, specialist cuts of meat and colourful fabrics. You’ll also find the usual assortment of plastic tat, cheap clothing and mobile phone accessories.
reviewed
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C
Smithfield Market
Smithfield is central London’s last surviving meat market. Its name derives from it being a smooth field where animals could be grazed, although its history is far from pastoral. Built on the site of the notorious St Bartholomew’s fair, where witches were traditionally burned at the stake, this is where Scottish independence leader William Wallace was executed in 1305 (there’s a large plaque on the wall of St Bart’s Hospital south of the market), as well as the place where the leader of the Peasants’ Revolt, Wat Tyler, met his end in 1381. Described in terms of pure horror by Dickens in Oliver Twist, this was once the armpit of London, where animal excrement and…
reviewed
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D
Leadenhall Market
Like stepping into a small slice of Victorian London, a visit to this covered mall off Gracechurch St is a minor time-travelling experience. There’s been a market on this site since the Roman era, but the architecture that survives is all cobblestones and late-19th-century ironwork; even modern restaurants and chain stores decorate their facades in period style here. The market appears as Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.
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