The markets of London
Our capital is by far the largest and most complex city in the world, and it still manages to remain the best to live and work to.
Among the greatest tourist attractions and residential amenities in London alike are the street markets that are scattered all over the metropolitan area. Those are places flocked with people from the beginning to the end of the opening hours. There is no doubt that whatever you are looking for — food, clothes, antiquities, books — there is at least one market in London that is going to provide you with what you have been looking for and even more. It is a pity that there are people who have lived in the capital all their life and they have not been to most of the wonderful markets that London has to offer to its residents and visitors. If you are among those people, or you have just come here, don’t wait up for even a minute more — get out and visit some of the best street markets in London, which automatically makes them some of the best street markets in the world:
· The Borough Market is naturally the place to start. Not only it offers both retail and wholesale deals — which makes it preferable for both individuals and businesses — but it is also a historical venue in its own right. The Borough market is one of the oldest and largest markets in London. It is located in Southwark, and this famous central location is yet another plus on its sheet. The retail market operates on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 5pm, Fridays from 10am to 6pm, and Saturdays from 8 am to 5 pm. For wholesale purchases you should come any weekday between 2am and 8am. The first market was established in the beginning of the 11th century — in 1014 — but there is a very high probability that it had existed at even earlier times. It was located directly on the London Bridge. Today the Borough Market is off the bridge but it is rather just next to it.
· Camden is famous for being one of the best places in London. It has, among other things, several markets. The Camden Lock Market, or simply Camden Market is the largest, oldest and best supplied among them. The market was opened for the first time in the 1970s which makes it one of the youngest among the notable markets of the capital. Want to know something else? It is also one of the busiest. According to the statistics that are available as many as 100 000 people are services in the course of a single weekend at the Camden Lock Market. And we are not talking about the last weekend before the Christmas holidays or something, but rather about a regular week. Crafts, clothing, bric-a-brac, and fast food are all very well represented at the stalls of the market, and it is no wonder that according to the ministry of tourism and several other organizations, it is the fourth most popular tourist attraction in London as a whole.
· If you are living in East London, and you are looking for a place to do your weekly shopping other than the supermarket on the corner, then you should definitely drop by the Romford Market in the eponymous district. Fresh food of all sorts is offered here in large quantities. Nearly everything is produced by small independent farmers. The food you have the opportunity to purchase here is so tasty that you should be careful, otherwise you risk needing to look for affordable removal services in Romford to hire a van to bring everything home. Don’t say that we have not warned you if such a thing happens.
· Another great East London market is situated on Brick Lane in Tower Hamlets. Brick Lane Market is open on Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm. People do not come for the food here. Brick Lane Market is the place to do treasure hunts in. Rumor has it that you can find anything here — from antique books of enormous value to eight-track cartridge decks and rusty cog wheels (we actually know the guy who owned a stall dedicated entirely to this). If you are a collector of anything, you are highly advised to drop by Brick Lane Market — you will definitely fall in love with the place instantly.
· Bermondsdey Market is another really nice antiquities market, this time in South London. It was opened in 1950 on the place of the Caledonian Market (The Metropolitan Cattle Market) from Victorian times. There are many nice things to see and buy here. The market has rather odd opening hours — from sundown till noon every day.
· With 75 tenants the Surrey Street Market in Croydon (hence also referred to as the Croydon Market) is rather a mid-size market than anything else. What makes it so special however is first the high quality of goods — vegetables, mead and other food products — that are sold here, and second that it is one of the oldest surviving street markets in London. It was created with a market charter by Robert Kilwardby, Archbishop of Canterbury, in 1276. There is evidence that even before that commercial activities took place in the area.
· There are several reasons why you should consider doing your shopping at the Sheppard’s Bush Market. First, you will find everything you need here — produce and cooked food, music CDs, clothing and general household goods. Second, the market has a very favorable located just on the north side of Uxbridge Road, next to major transport hubs. Third, it is not a major tourist attraction as the rest of the good markets in the capital, or at least the larger ones, which means that you will be provided with much more comfortable conditions for shopping due to the lack of constant crowds. Last but not least, quite recently Sheppard’s Bush Market was regenerated entirely and now it is much nicer than it used to be.
