© Max Diamond
For cash-strapped Londoners hoping to dodge high-street prices in the run-up to Christmas, the answer lies in the capital's bustling markets. Time Out pounds the pavement and pins down the best street deals in town
© Max Diamond
Central
Borough Market London’s oldest market – dating back to at least the thirteenth century – still attracts queues, but these days they’re for rare-breed meat, fish and game or organic artisan loaves.
Southwark St, SE1 1TL (020 7407 1002/www.boroughmarket.org.uk). London Bridge tube/rail. Thur 11am-5pm; Fri 12noon-6pm; Sat 9am-4pm.
Cabbages & Frocks
Held in the cobbled yard of St Marylebone Parish Church, this market was started by food-loving fashionista Angela Cash. Stalls satisfy even the most demanding tastebuds, and there’s a range of retro and vintage clothing too, plus work from independent designers and craftsmen and women.
St Marylebone Parish Church Grounds, Marylebone High St, W1 (020 7794 1636/www.cabbagesandfrocks.co.uk). Baker St tube. Sat 11am-5pm.
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Berwick Street Market
This buzzy street market, in an area better known for its lurid, neon-lit trades, is one of London’s oldest, dating back to 1778. It’s great for seasonal produce, cheap fabric and indie record shops.
Berwick St, W1. Piccadilly Circus or Tottenham Court Rd tube. Mon-Sat 9am-6pm.
Earlham Street Market
Cheap street fashion, T-shirts, fresh juices and the excellent Wild Bunch flower stall.
Earlham St, WC2. Leicester Square tube. Mon-Sat 10am-4pm.
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| Marlene Cartwright, Leather Lane Market © Max Diamond |
Leather Lane
Best for discount fashion
Popular, upbeat lunchtime market selling cut-price clothing and household items, plus flowers, gifts, fruit and veg. On our visit we spied brightly coloured leather gloves for £10, a family of slightly creepy Victorian dolls, Lyle & Scott cardies for £40 and Sass & Bide jeans for £30.
Leather Lane, between Greville St and Clerkenwell Rd, EC4 (www.leatherlanemarket.co.uk). Chancery Lane tube. Mon-Fri 10am-2.30pm.
Lower Marsh Market
A street market since Victorian times, there’s some quality veg, women’s clothes, decent jewellery and vintage shops.
Lower Marsh, from Westminster Bridge Rd to Baylis Rd, SE1 (020 7926 2530/www.lower-marsh.co.uk). Waterloo tube/rail. Mon-Thur 8am-6pm, Fri-Sat 8am-7pm .
South Bank Book Market
London’s very own bouquinistes: endless second-hand books, maps and old prints on a collection of stalls on the South Bank.
Riverside Walk, outside BFI Southbank, under Waterloo Bridge, SE1. Waterloo tube/rail. Daily 12noon-7pm.
Whitecross Street Best for lunchtime food
Whitecross Street Market started in 2007 as a monthly operation, but fast turned into a weekly event. An energetic collection of food stalls appears every Thursday and Friday, such as Luardo’s, purveyor of Latin American street food, with its fluffy burritos, or Mario and Carol’s Italian food stall, where an order of classic Roman-style grub comes with friendly banter.
Whitecross Weekly Food Market, Whitecross Street, EC1 (020 7378 0422/www.whitecrossstreetmarket.co.uk). Old Street tube/rail. Open 11am-5pm Thur, Fri.
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7 comments
I am after a french style wardrobe on the cheap! does anyone know of any furniture markets that sell this kind of thing, which wouuld be worth going too!!
East London Christmas Design Market at Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road is gonna be great with loads of up and coming designers selling individual hand made items, ranging from clothing,accessories, homeware and gifts. It's on Sunday 7th Dec, free entry, 11-5:30. It's probably going to become a regular event as well, due to the high demand.
Christmas cheer for harassed shoppers.
Late night Christmas shopping At Columbia Road, E2.
Why not escape the madness that is the west end and head east this Christmas, back to a time of cobbled streets, welcoming shop keepers, cheery hostelries and not a chain store in sight.
This Christmas, forty independent shops on Columbia Road will be opening for late-night shopping on Wednesday evenings in December — 3rd, 10th and 17th — from 5 pm to 9 pm. There will be festive fun and food, including live music. This late-night trading will be in addition to normal Sunday trading (9 am to 3 pm) alongside the Flower Market.
Columbia Road is situated in London’s East End. The shops were originally built on a watercress field as a Victorian shopping arcade some 150 years ago. The steel and glass towers of the City are just a stone’s throw away, and they form a striking backdrop to the brown brick and slate roofs of this charming street. Much of this part of London escaped bombing during the war, and it retains a Dickensian atmosphere, with cobbled streets, Victorian street lamps and traditional shop fronts. The area is often used as a film set.
Columbia Road is one of the few streets in London to be made up of entirely independent shops. An eclectic mix, selling everything from English cheeses, hats, garden pots, vintage clothes, antiques, furniture, cup cakes and bagels to jewellery, sweets and art sit happily next to each other. There’s nowhere better to soak up a bit of atmosphere and pick up presents you wouldn’t find on the high street. As you would expect the area is also well served by pubs, cafés and restaurants. (an ideal opportunity to stock up on some festive cheer)
Ryantown Start Space Glitterati
Doxi Gallery Lee’s seafood Bob and Blossom
Suck and Chew Wild and Wild Open House
Marcos and Trump Far Idonia Van Der Bijl
Fred Bare Bahasa Treacle
Supernice Nom Future Vintage
Angela Flanders Given and Cerise The Red Mud Hut
Pot Luck Vintage Heaven Two Columbia Road
Ben Southgate Laxiero Stoned and Plastered
Wawa Warren Evans Jones Diary
Milagros Franklin Alvarez Flea Pit
The Royal Oak Nelson’s Head Elphick’s
Nelly Duff Orangerie Columbia Road Gallery
Hott and Tottenham Campania
For latest updates check out: columbiaroad.info
For directions and other transport enquires go to tfl.com
columbiaroad.info
Bourough Market for budgeteers? You're kidding aren't you? It's more expensive than Waitrose.....
Don't forget another Market in East.Romford. Granted a Charter by King John the Market is still thriving and well worth a visit alongside the busy shopping centre.
To Kawfa: depends what you mean by designer. on sundays brick lane, petticoat lane and roman road all have stalls selling high street brands with tags off. i went there last month and got 2 pairs of topshop shoes for £15. You can get to them from aldgate east station or the number 8 from the city drops you right out front. For exclusive brands they often have their own sales sometimes advertised in timeout. also try the website secretsales.com. you have to become a member which you can do for free by having a current member recommend you. have picked up some good stuff online there.
Its really fantastic. The Atmosphere is sooooooo.... relaxing and enjoyfull. Beautifull stalls and relly good for gift items as i am dealing with gift items and clothes and found some new customers as well.