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Abney Hall
73A Stoke Newington Church Street, N16 0AY
Saturday & Sunday 11am-6pm (once a month)
www.hackneyfleamarket.com
@HackneyFlea

The Hackney Flea has acquired a great reputation and this attracts around 40 traders offering anything from vintage gardening tools to new designer jewellery to this small but quaint hall in the heart of Stoke Newington.  

Annie is a regular here with her vintage copper pans starting from just £60 and a great selection of vintage posters.  She loves the market and her stuff has proved popular with the young stokie crowd.  A few stalls further along is Charleen offering a carefully chosen selection of vintage jewellery and accessories.

There's lots of vintage clothing stalls to accompany the jewellery with anything from hardly used NB trainers for twenty quid to authentic 50s dresses.

The atmosphere at the Hackney Flea is always friendly and perhaps because it only takes place one weekend a month there's a real buzz to the event.  The tea and cake stall here is also incredibly good with plenty of freshly baked treats to reward you after a hard mornings pottering.

 

 

this in a feature taken from our forthcoming book:
London's Markets
by Andrew Kershman

Chatsworth Road (from Clifden Road to Rushmore Road)
www.chatsworthroade5.co.uk
Overground: Homerton, Hackney Central, Clapton and Hackney Downs
Sunday 11am-4pm

Before the war Chatsworth Road Market was one of east London's biggest with over 200 stalls trading throughout the week.  The proceeding years were not kind to the area or it's market and by the 1980s there were just a few stalls left and the market eventually closed in 1990.

Since that time the area has revived and an enthusiastic local residents and traders association has worked to revive the shops and introduce a vibrant and diverse Sunday market which has flourished and become a firm favourite with the locals and intrepid tourists prepared to venture this far east.

Chatsworth Road is a great place to visit on a Sunday with delicious street food, vintage clothing and household goods and a wide choice of food stalls allowing visitors to buy a good deal of their weekly shopping on the street.

 

One of the most trusted traders is the fresh fish stall which always has responsibly sourced fresh fish at very reasonable prices.  The cheese stall is also a firm favourite offering British and Alpine cheeses with plenty of advice and tasters for the curious.  The bakery stall is popular and very well priced and Downland Produce is a regular here offering their own organic free range meat.  

Fruit and veg is not well represented on the road, but there are two very good stalls in the courtyard of Rushmore School where they are joined by a second-hand book dealer and a bike stall selling used bikes, bike parts and offering servicing and repairs while you wait.  

 

Back on the main strip you can find vintage and new clothing and jewellery with quite a few designers selling their own creations and plenty of discounted items to appeal to bargain hunters.  The plant and flower stall run by Brett and his family is another favourite, with a great choice of cut flowers and healthy looking plants.  He's been trading here for years and even when things are quiet always keeps smiling, 'things will always get better!' and, judging from the changes on Chatsworth Road, he's right.

 

Street food stalls are well represented, offering treats from around the globe from fresh falafels to good old fashion scotch eggs and sausage rolls.  The two lads serving freshly made Tempura Prawns, Kara-age fried chicken and other freshly made Japanese delicacies are very popular and well worth a try.

 

Chatsworth Road and its market have gone through a transformation in recent years and it's heartening for any market lover to see how with the support of local residents and traders a market can rise from the ashes and bring trade and vitality to an area – long may it continue.

 

The Artworks, Elephant Road, SE17 1AY
@Artworkssocial
Open: Friday & Saturday 11am-6pm

This new market is located in a recently built pedestrian square just behind the traditional Elephant & Castle Market and the iconic shopping centre of the same name.  This social venture includes plants and home made jams and chutneys from the people at Lamlash Garden (lamlashgarden.co.uk), a stall offering vintage and nearly new women's clothing and a great choice of street food including wraps, Malaysian curry and even a stall offering Polish sausage (called Pierogi). 

 

 

If you fancy something sweet there is a trader specialising in home made Portuguese custard tarts which were delicious and still warm from the oven.

The people behind this new venture are also responsible for Limehouse Social and it shares the same friendly atmosphere complete with some great buskers who provide an accompaniment to the shopping.  Hopefully this little market will grow into something special.

www.craftyfoxmarket.co.uk
www.shoppingwithsoul.co.uk
Twitter: @craftyfoxmarket

Crafty Fox Markets started back in 2010 when Sinead Koehler, who had been selling jewellery at various markets around London, decided to start her own event which would act as a supportive hub for traders. The markets she started under the name Crafty Fox, have gone from strength to strength by offering organised, well publicised events where traders get a fair deal.

Their first Sample Sale had a craft workshop with both adults and children engrossed in the process of cutting, glueing and painting their creations. 

 

Those more interested in shopping than making, could go straight through to the main part of the market where about 30 stalls were displaying hand-made crockery, cards, unique jewellery, framed pictures and accessories.  Although the number of stalls was limited, they were well chosen with some particularly high quality independent jewellers offering end of season items at a considerable discount.  Jill (shopjill.com) was selling her wonderful bird/bunny inspired designs on purses, bags and even framed.  She loves the Crafty Fox markets and is a regular at their events:

".. a lot of effort is put into the markets and they are always well attended.  As a stall holder you always feel they want you to do well.  Their markets are also really friendly places and that makes a real difference.'

The ceramicist trading as Stolen Form (stolenform.com) is also a regular here, offering all kinds unusual and witty ceramics such as brick shaped vases and small bowls in the form of plumbing pipe fittings.  He, like many other traders, also had plenty of samples and end-of-lines on offer at a discount, making this a great event for bargain hunters.

Crafty Fox host regular markets at venues in south and east London and are well worth seeking out.  Take a look at their website for details of future events.

St James's Churchyard, W1J 9LL
Tube: Piccadilly Circus
Open: Monday-Tuesday 11am-5pm (food)
Wednesday-Saturday 10am-6pm (arts and crafts)
Facebook.com/PiccadillyMarketLondon
Twitter: @piccadillymart

 

St James Church has played host to a market for many decades with the old trees and ancient stone paving remaining constant while the people and the things sold have gradually changed over the years.  These days the market is given over to a vibrant street food market on Mondays and Tuesdays with food from around the world for as little as a fiver a go and plenty of shaded benches in the church grounds to enjoy the food.
From Wednesday to Saturday Piccadilly takes on its more established role as an arts and crafts market, offering anything from tourist novelties to genuine antiques.  One of the most interesting stalls is run by Linda who has been selling her antique glassware and tableware at the market for years and loves the people and the place. 

Other stalls offer leather belts and bags, wooden toys, hand painted glass, brightly painted plates in a Greek style, jewellery, kid's clothes and quite a few stalls catering to the passing tourist trade with toy red buses, tiny models of Big Ben and Union Jack T-shirts all to the fore.  The tourist stuff might deter some, but there are good things to be found here and the tranquil atmosphere is a welcome break from the bustle of Piccadilly which lies beyond the church gates.

There are lots of options for refreshment during the street food market, but when the Craft Market takes place your best bet is the Caffé Nero that lies within the church grounds. 

 

 

Between Liverpool Road and Baron Street, N1 9EX
Open: Tuesday-Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 8.30am-4pm (Farmers' Market)
Tube: Angel

 

There's been a market on this pedestrian street in Islington since around 1870 and although the area has been transformed into an expensive and upmarket part of London, this market remains a throwback to the old, working-class borough that has largely been forgotten.  

 

As soon as you walk into the market from Liverpool Road you enter a very different world from that of Islington High Street, with stall holders chatting with their regular customers and a clear sense of community.  

It's really possible to do your entire weekly shop at Chapel Market with great fruit and veg stalls, a small deli van selling fine cheese and cold meats, fresh flowers, haberdashery and fabrics, fresh meat and fish as well as stalls selling beds, carpets, cards and of course phone accessories.  Another great addition to the market is the cycle stall which sells great value bike parts and accessories as well as offering a full service for just £30.

 

You don't have to spend very much time here to see that this market has an atmosphere and sense of place that is increasingly rare.  Barry, the friendly fishmonger, has been trading here for over 30 years and is always busy offering advice and recommending a particularly good catch, even keeping customers produce until they've finished shopping.  Fruit and veg seller John,  is one of the markets characters, having started here as a fresh faced kid back in 1974.  In the intervening years he has lost none of his cheek.  When one of his Turkish customers raves about her dish using his garlic and courgettes, he says:

 

'I don't like courgettes, I don't like garlic,
I won't be coming round yours for tea!'

 

It's this unique character that makes this one of the best market experiences to be had in the capital.  Bring a big basket or trolley and fill your boots.

Whitecross Street between Old Street and Errol Street, EC1Y 8QP
Tube/Rail: Old Street
Open: Monday-Friday 10am-2.30pm

Whitecross Street was a struggling week day market for many years as people changed their shopping habits preferring the local supermarkets for their daily groceries.  In order for things to stay the same they must change, and the market has certainly undergone a huge transformation in recent years.  Peter who ran the last remaining fruit and veg stall for over 30 years has gone and in his place have come a vast number of street food stalls and vans, allowing visitors to eat their way around the world along a stretch of road that can be traversed in just  5 minutes gentle troll.

The stylish vintage Citroen van at the Old Street end of the market is run by award-winning Buddha Bowls who manage to cram streamed seasonal greens, curry, soya chunks, carrot and homemade kimchi pickle all into one fragrant cardboard container for just a fiver.  The long queue during the lunchtime rush is always a good sign.  

Further into the market carnivores can get their fill with delicious Turkish kebabs, Katsu chicken from Shackfoods and there's even two Swedish lads offering their homeland's famous meatballs with mash potato. 

 

Other continental favourites include a popular French Galettes stall and one making authentic Italian pizza to order.  The Yum Bowl is always busy serving hot bowls of Thai noodles with their sizzling pork filling the street with enticing aromas.  Vegans and Veggies are further catered for at Sunny's Olive Tree which offers all kinds of delicious lunchtime treats.

Those with a sweet tooth will not be disappointed with several traders offering fine patisserie, fresh juices and Jerry's stall selling various kinds of single source honey and nougat bars and a coffee stall with seating on fine days and a choice of sweet things to accompany the caffeine.

There are a few non-food stalls on the market with one lone trader offering household goods like batteries, cleaning materials and such like and another specialising in jewellery with anything from hand made leather bracelets to vintage rings.  At the far end of the street market is a privately run covered market with stalls offering bags, cheap street clothing, cards and some really attractive discounted cookbooks.  This is where the locals from the nearby estate hunt for bargains but few of the office workers grabbing an alfresco lunch venture down this far.

 

Whitecross Street has survived and thrived in the 21st Century, but only by transforming itself into a new kind of street food market where, as one trader put it,  'you can eat your way around the world'.  Traditionalists might not like the change, but the revival of this market with hungry crowds and busy food sellers is a testament that this change was necessary.  Better a food market than no market at all.