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North Cross Road

Posted on April 03, 2018 by Andrew Kershman

North Cross Rd (from Lordship Lane to Fellbrigg Rd), SE22 9ET
Rail: East Dulwich
Open: Saturdays 10am-5pm

There’s been a market on North Cross Road for years, but it has experienced its ups and downs over that time and has survived by adapting to the now prosperous neighbourhood – good bye cheap fruit and veg, hello hand-made pouffe. The longest serving stall on the market belongs to fishmonger, Jeff Bowman, who has been selling top quality fresh fish here for over 35 years and has witnessed the transformation. Jeff trades on the corner of Lordship Lane from Thursday, but he only has company on Saturdays, when another 20 stalls line the street offering anything from reconditioned furniture to farm fresh eggs.

The market now has a regular following among the denizens of Dulwich, drawn here by the appealing mix of the practical, the unusual and the beautiful. The egg stall is always here offering a selection of free range eggs and unusual things like Duck eggs that you don’t get in the supermarket. It’s not unusual to have a plant stall at a market, but the regular one here is run by Cade Street Nursery and sells plants that are incredibly lush and healthy. If your looking for a gift or just to treat yourself there are lots of options, from scented candles by Aequill to jewellery from long established trader Lisa E Moss. Further down the market there’s a mix of vintage and second-hand stalls and three wonderful crafts people – Alice King and her hand-made ceramics, Kate Diamond and her own range of T-shirts using her designs and Tuffet.co the aforementioned pouffes which are expensive, but truly things of beauty. If you’ve come on your bike, don’t forget the repair stall at the Lordship Lane end of the market which offers great value services and repairs.

There are quite a few food stalls here offering things like hand-made chocolates and artisan breads, but the majority of food is to eat on the go rather than take home with various options including Burritos and substantial Hogg roast sandwiches.

North Cross Road has a great atmosphere and it’s clear that the traders and customers really value the place. There are plans to extend the number of stalls and pedestrianise more of the street on Saturdays – a sign that this market is still looking to the future.

Eat & Drink
There are a few good cafés along the North Cross Road including Bonne Bouffe at number 49 and further up at number 18 the Blue Mountain Café. The Palmerston (on the corner with Lordship Lane) serves a good pint and has a great menu.

Visit
The fabulous independent bookshop, Rye Books, has relocated to 47 North Cross Road and not only offers a great selection of books but also has a great little coffee shop. Further afield, The Horniman Museum and Dulwich Picture Gallery are both just a bus ride away and are well worth exploring.