Old Spitalfields Market, London, Guida per visitatori e cosa fare nei dintorni

Old Spitalfields Market is a covered market on Brushfield Street in London's East End, where independent traders sell antiques, fashion, art, home accessories and street food. It stands on land with a long history, from a medieval priory hospital to a Victorian rebuild that still shapes the market today.

The story behind it

Long before the market, this was open ground beside the hospital and priory of St Mary Spital, founded in the 12th century. The name Spitalfields comes from that "spital", the old word for hospital. The area later became a place of trade, and the site grew into one of London's main fruit and vegetable markets.

In 1876 a businessman named Robert Horner bought the market and rebuilt it, and much of his Victorian work can still be seen. Market legend says Horner began as an Essex crow scarer, walked to London, became a market porter and eventually won a share in a firm. Treat the tale as local folklore, but it shows how the market likes to tell its own story. The wholesale fruit and vegetable trade moved away in 1991, and the building now belongs to independent stallholders and shoppers.

What to look for

• The Victorian market buildings around the edges of the hall are Horner's rebuild, so look up at the roofline and the brickwork as you arrive from Brushfield Street.
• The stalls change with the day of the week, so notice whether you have found antiques, fashion, artwork or a busy lunchtime food crowd.
• The mix of independent traders is the point of the place, so look for small makers and one-off stalls rather than the usual high street names.
• Just outside, the old streets and the City towers in the distance sit side by side, which shows how close the East End and the financial district really are.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 45 minutes to an hour to browse and eat, longer if you want to explore the lanes around it.
• Check current opening hours and which traders are in on the day you visit, as the offer varies through the week.
• Come hungry, as the street food is a big part of the draw, and a weekday visit is usually calmer than a weekend.
• Brick Lane, Christ Church Spitalfields and Liverpool Street station are all within an easy walk, so it combines well with a wider East End wander.

See it on a quest

The market is one stop on Historic London: Spitalfields and Brick Lane from Weavers to Wine Bars, a self-guided walk through the area that follows its journey from weavers to wine bars. You reach the market on foot as part of a longer route, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle in what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group. You can start whenever suits you, with no guide and no group to join.