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London Walk 1: Borough Market
London's oldest food market, by London Bridge
(Photos/words © urban75, 20th January, 2007)
Proud winner of the Observer Food Magazine's 'Best Market in the Country' competition in February 2004, Borough Market is open for business between 12 and 6pm on Friday and 9am to 4pm on a Saturday.
The market is located close to the Thames behind Southwark cathedral, and a short walk from Borough tube station and London Bridge tube/railway terminus.
With its roots in Roman times, Borough can lay claim to being Britain's oldest food market, mentioned by name in 1276 documents and granted its first royal charter in 1406.
The market moved from its nearby original location (on a long-since vanished bridge built by King Canute) to the current site in 1756, where it thrives.
It has to be said that in recent years it's become very trendy, very expensive and very crowded and appears to be moving upmarket at a worrying rate of knots. A victim of its own success, perhaps?
Still, if you don't mind battling through the crowds, there's some great food to be found and it's well worth a visit as part of a Thames-side walk.
Massed CCTV and Congestion Charge enforcing cameras ominously lurking over Borough High Street
Building lines against a winter blue sky, Borough High Street.
Hope Exchange, opened in 1868 to a design by R.H Moore, on Southwark Street in Borough.
The Market is made up of four main areas, Crown Square (bounded by Southwark Street, Stoney Street and Bedale Street), Green Market (underneath the railway bridges next to the cathedral), the Jubilee Market and the shops and restaurants surrounding the Market, located in Stoney Street, Park Street and Bedale Street.
Market view.
Buying dried fruit.
Stylish dogs.
Oyster bar.
Queueing for the juice bar
London, old and new. Crane and rigging of the replica Golden Hinde ship.
The new Golden Hinde was launched on 1973 and sailed to San Francisco, before retracing Sir Francis Drake's route across the Pacific and Indian Oceans to Britain and successfully completing a circumnavigation of the globe in 1980.
The ship has also circumnavigated Great Britain twice, as well as sailing 14,000 miles from England to Vancouver, and going on to tour ports around the United States.
The ship is now berthed at St Mary Overie Dock on the Thames in Bankside SE1.
Southwark Cathedral or - to give it its full name - The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie, Southwark, London.
Lying on the south bank of the River Thames close to London Bridge, Shakespeare buried his brother, Edmund, here in 1607 and there's monuments to Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu.
Walking west from London Bridge towards the Tate Modern, London, January, 2007
Coming up to the Millennium Bridge.
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Borough Market
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