The City of London’s iconic
Leadenhall
Market
is bringing back stallholders with a series of pop-up vintage furniture & fashion and craft markets that will take over its cobbled stone walkways for eight weekends during the summer.
Putting the market back into Leadenhall, the weekend series will see the grand Victorian marketplace – built on the site of London’s original Roman forum
– return to its roots as a trading ground, but instead of selling meat, poultry and game, stalls will be filled with vintage furniture, fashion and crafts.
Kicking off the exciting new venture is the renowned
Judy’s
presents The Vintage Furniture & Flea Market.
Selling furniture from the mid-century onwards, alongside fashion from the twenties to the noughties, Judy and her team have 20 years
of experience in sourcing beautiful one-off pieces that each have their own story to tell, for reasonable prices.
Taking place monthly on Sundays,
The Vintage Furniture & Flea Market can be found in Leadenhall Market on
30 June, 28 July and 25 August, from 12-5pm.
Judy Berger, Founder of The Vintage Furniture & Flea Market,
said: “We’re super excited to be bringing our beautifully curated vintage furniture & flea market to Leadenhall this summer. The stunning location, architecture, cobbles and shop facades are going to make this the prettiest mid-century flea market in London.
We’ve hand selected over 60 expert traders from around the U.K. who will rock up in the City of Losolondon to sell furniture & homewares mainly from the 50s-80s and fashion from the 50s to the noughties.”
Complementing old with new, Leadenhall will also be welcoming
SoLo
Craft Fair under its wrought-iron structure, from June. The South London-based organisation run by makers, for makers is famous
for its unique hand-crafted art, jewellery, home accessories, children’s toys and more, from a pool of carefully-selected, talented crafters.
Running monthly on Saturdays,
SoLo Craft Fair’s first weekend market at Leadenhall will be on 8 June, followed by
13 July, 10 August and 14 September, with stalls open from 12-5pm.
Ollie Goode, City of London Corporation,
said: “The introduction of these pop-up markets is testament to how the City of London is evolving. With Leadenhall already bustling during
the week with office workers, we wanted to bring a new experience for visitors to enjoy on the weekend, catering to both tourists and the wider London audience. These pop-up markets, in combination with our existing range of shops, bars and restaurants, will
create a fantastic destination in a unique historic setting, rivalling the best of what London has to offer. We are lucky to have two very different but equally popular and experienced operators to bring this to life and create a real buzz in Leadenhall over
the Summer.”
To keep shoppers refreshed and replenished during their weekend spending spree, a number of the market’s restaurants, cafes and bars will also be open,
serving food & drink.
In 2021, Leadenhall Market celebrated its 700th anniversary, although the site’s history as a marketplace goes back much further to at least 100 AD! Leadenhall
Market stands in the very centre of Roman Londinium – underneath its arches and cobblestones lie the remains of the Forum (market) and Basilica (courts). The first market named Leadenhall was recorded in 1321, when Sir Hugh Neville, who owned what was ‘The
Manor of Leaden Hall’ at the time, opened the grounds up to tenants to trade and it soon became a popular meeting place for poulterers. Since then, the market has been known to trade wool, leather and cutlery. It has played host to festivals and events and
at one point even housed a chapel and school.
Situated in the centre of the City of London’s financial district, the current Grade II listed Market building, designed by Horace Jones, dates back to
1881. Its airy and light wrought iron and glass structure replaced the stone market previously created by Lord Mayor of London, Dick Whittington in the 15th Century.
Now, the market is home to 23 restaurants, cafes and bars, which sit alongside 15 retail outlets, creating a hub for shopping and dining in the City.