Leadenhall Market, London, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

Leadenhall Market is a covered Victorian market in the heart of the City of London, with a painted iron and glass roof over a set of lanes lined with shops, pubs and restaurants. It stands on ground that was at the centre of Roman Londinium, and traders have gathered here for centuries. It is one of the most photographed corners of the City.

The story behind it

Long before the current building, this was the middle of Roman Londinium, the capital of the province of Britain. A market has been held on the site since the Middle Ages, and the 14th century is the date usually given for its start. Meat, game and poultry were the staples, but as its reputation grew you could also buy fish, wool, cutlery, leather, grain and herbs.

The Great Fire of 1666 swept through this part of the City and damaged the market. The glass and iron hall you see today is a later, Victorian design from the 1880s. The diarist Samuel Pepys, who lived through the fire, wrote of buying beef here. The market was also part of a city that lived through plague, when people blamed bad air, or miasma, and tried to purify it with burning spices and resins, scented flowers and vinegar-soaked sponges. In recent years it has found a new kind of fame on screen, and Harry Potter fans know it as the setting for the approach to Diagon Alley.

What to look for

• Look up at the roof, where ornate ironwork painted in rich colours frames the glass canopy over the lanes.
• Find the shopfront in Bull's Head Passage that was used in the first Harry Potter film as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron.
• Notice how the covered lanes meet at a junction, which makes a good spot to pause and take in the whole arcade.
• Check the details of the pub and shop fronts, from painted signs to old-fashioned lettering, which hint at how long trade has gone on here.

Tips for your visit

• You can walk through the market for free at any time it is open. Check current opening hours for individual shops, pubs and restaurants.
• Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the market itself, more if you stop for lunch or a drink.
• On weekdays it fills with City workers at lunchtime. For photos without the crowds, come at a quieter time such as early morning or at the weekend, when some businesses may be closed.
• The Lloyd's building and the Gherkin are a short walk away, so it fits easily into a wider stroll through the City.

See it on a quest

Great Fire of London: The Path of Destruction brings you to Leadenhall Market on foot as one stop on a longer route through the City. The app tells you about the place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is around you, so the market becomes part of the story of 1666 rather than a quick photo stop. One ticket covers the whole group.

Plague of London: The Doctor's Last Hope passes the market too, which suits a place where Londoners once worried about bad air and disease. You walk between stops at your own pace, hear the history of each spot and solve a puzzle on the spot. One ticket covers the whole group.