Borough Market

A food market at the south end of London Bridge with around 1,000 years of history. It is run by a charitable trust for the benefit of the community.^[1]

By George Morina. Last checked 24 Oct 2026 against the sources listed at the bottom of this page.

A short history

• 1270s The City of London bans its citizens from buying food in Southwark and stops the market's traders from setting up on the bridge.^[1]
• 1550 The City takes over the market and extends trading from two days a week to four.^[1]
• 1676 A fire along Borough High Street destroys the market house.^[1]
• 1754–1756 Parliament moves to close the congested market on the high street. Local parishioners re-found it on a new site just off the high street, where it still is.^[1]
• 1862 A railway viaduct is built through the market. The railways turn Borough into a major fruit and vegetable wholesale hub.^[1]
• 1998 After the success of a Food Lovers' Fair, Borough begins to reinvent itself as a retail market for high-quality food.^[1]
• 2021 The market starts opening on Sundays.^[1]

Visiting

• It's free to walk in. The address is 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL, next to London Bridge station.^[2]
• The market has three areas: Three Crown Square, the Green Market and Borough Market Kitchen.^[2]
• Opening days and times change, including on bank holidays, so check the market's visitor page before you go.^[2]

Access

The market says it is all on one ground level, with some cobbled areas, and passageways between 1.5 and 4 metres wide. It is busiest on Saturday afternoons, so a weekday visit is easier if you use a wheelchair or don't like crowds.^[2]

Southwark Cathedral is just beside the market. See our cathedral guide, or the market, cathedral and Bankside walk.