A Tourist Guide To All The Best Markets In Central London

Like most people across the globe, Londoners love a market.  It’s not just about the purchase of a bargain or something unusual but a mixture of browsing, surprise, eating, drinking and relishing in the special London banter of the market stallholders.   London is fortunate to have a huge variety of markets making it possible to go to a different one every day of the week and never experience the same market style twice.   You can find anything and everything from antiques to vintage or modern art, from flowers to food, clothes, curios and a plethora of second hand goods. Specialist and general street markets, some sprawling across many streets whilst others located in special covered arcades.  Some only appear at weekends but others trade on weekdays.  Literally there is something for everyone and  with a bit of research and planning you will find what you are looking for.   Below are descriptions of the best including the days that they trade and the nearest underground station to arrive there. 

Starting in London’s east end, with Liverpool Street as the most convenient underground station, you will find Petticoat Lane Market in Middlesex Street, UpMarket in Hanbury Street, Spitalfields in Commercial Street, Brick Lane Market and Columbia Road Flower Market. 

Petticoat Lane has operated as a market since the very early 17th century and is probably the oldest surviving market in Britain.  As it’s name depicts, the theme of the market is on clothing.  However, the name ‘Petticoat Lane’ however apparently did not derive from the selling of clothing but from an old saying which stated that ‘they would steal your petticoat at one end of the market and sell it back to you at the other end’.  Suffice to say, such shady dealings are less prevalent today. There are almost a thousand stalls dedicated to mostly the selling of cut-price fashion for men, women and children, Asian fabrics (reflecting the east end of London’s large Asian communities) and also, the Aldgate East end of the market specialises in leatherwear. You will also find household goods, bric a brac and the usual market paraphernalia.  Haggling is a must and expected by most stall holders.  Petticoat Market actually comprises 2 streets.  The smaller, weekly market (Monday to Friday 10am to 2pm ) is on Wentworth Street and the Sunday morning market (9am to 2pm) is in and around Middlesex Street.  

Spitalfields Market: A few hundred yards north of Petticoat Lane is the Old Spitalfields Market.   This covered market, opposite Liverpool Street station has been in place here for over 350 years.  In the 1990s the market was refurbished and daily markets take place amid independent local shops, offices and restaurants. Open 7 days per week,  with most shops and stalls trading between 10am and 7pm it is an absolute treasure trove. On the last weekend of every month you will find the Urban Makers Market there.  This themed market offers an array of unique handmade products which include jewellery, candles, stationery, artwork, homeware, fashion for adults and children, accessories and skincare products.  On the first and third Friday of every month you will find the Vinyl Market selling records both old, rare and valuable as well as newer.  Every Thursday, sees the Old Spitafields Antiques Market and the whole market buzzes with antiques, collectables and objects d’art and, as a casual browser, you will be competing with antique dealers and specialists.  Aside from these specialist days you will find on any day stalls selling a variety of craftwork, bespoke children’s toys, fashion, including contemporary as well as vintage clothing, artisan food products and design and artwork.   The concourse also rents out studio space to local artists and sculptors where you can buy original pieces of work.   The busiest times to visit are, not surprisingly, during the weekend.   Getting there is easy alighting the tube at either Liverpool Street station or Aldgate.   If you still have some energy left, across Commercial Street to the east, a quick five minute walk away, lies Brick Lane Market. 

Brick Lane Market: For a taste of what Georgian and Victorian London was like coupled with the multicultural aspect of a global village the hipster zone of Spitalfield’s Brick Lane Market and its surroundings can provide plenty of interest as well as bargains.   Brick Lane is in the heart of London’s Bangladeshi community and, throughout its history, has always been the home of waves of new immigrants.   Today, it is well-known for its multitude of curry restaurants.    The best day to visit is on a Sunday, when the bustling streets are lined with stalls selling second-hand goods alongside cut-price fruit and vegetables, electrical goods and various household items.   Very popular with young Londoners and influenced by the recent gentrification of nearby Shoreditch and much of the east end of London, you can also find vintage bric a brac, arts and crafts, unusual clothes and second-hand furniture.  All this jostles with stalls selling the exotic spices required for the recipes of the immigrant local populations and colourful saris and Asian fabrics.  Add in the heady aroma of delicious food stalls and the buzz and excitement of lively street entertainment and your day will be full.  In addition to the main Sunday street market, make sure you also visit the markets located in The Old Truman Brewery.  The Old Truman Brewery prides itself in supporting new artists and designers and the markets here are given a platform whereby they can sell  their wares direct to customers.  At UpMarket you will discover one-off bespoke items, edgy, customised fashion for both men and women, beautifully tailored clothes for children and handmade jewellery.   The famous food area in the UpMarket has the same cottage-industry flavour.  Here you will find delicious delicacies from all corners of the globe, home-cooked food cooked and prepared with love and passion.  More international culinary delights can be found at Boiler House Food Hall with over 30 stalls. The Backyard Market sells prints, jewellery and accessories and The Tea Rooms are an Aladdin’s cave of furniture and antiques.   

The market is open every Sunday from 10am until 5pm and the Old Truman Brewery is open on Saturdays as well  The closest underground stations are either Aldgate East or Liverpool Street. 

Columbia Road Flower Market: A half mile to the east of Brick Lane brings you to the Columbia Road Flower Market.  Taking place every Sunday, between 8am until 3pm it is a place where your senses are overwhelmed with vibrant colour and wonderful floral perfumes.  Bursting with plants, shrubs, bulbs and trees you can buy everything from cut flowers and bedding plants to banana trees and other exotic flora.  A lot of the market traders grow their own plants or import them from around the world so quality and unusual variants are something that can be guaranteed.  Naturally, the market is also a very good and convenient place to pick up a variety of useful garden accessories and tools.  However, like any market selling perishable products its important to get their early but if you do arrive later in the day there are often bargains to be had, particularly of cut flowers.   Around the market you will discover something like 60 independent shops which include vintage clothes stores, gardening and antique shops, art galleries. Italian and English delicatessans, shops selling delightful cupcakes as well as pubs, cafes and restaurants.  For photography, the market is wonderful for its vibrant colours.   To get to Columbia Road Flower Market the nearest underground station is Hoxton. 

Leaving the east end of London but staying north of the River Thames we can find the markets of north and north-west London.  These include Camden Passage and Chapel Street Markets in Islington, Stables Market at Chalk Farm, Camden Lock Market and Church Street Market located at Paddington.

Camden Passage in Angel Islington N1 should not be confused with the bigger markets at Camden Town and Camden Lock a little further north-west.   The passage is a picturesque, cobbled, pedestrianised street, which, originally in the 18th century, was an alley which backed onto houses which fronted Islington High Street.  In the 1960s, an antique market was established and this has now developed into a market that rivals other well known London antique markets such as Portobello and Spitalfields markets.  Not only can you find antiques but the area has diversified to include vintage and contemporary shops, boutiques, restaurants, cafes and outdoor market stalls, which gives the whole area a lively energy.  Many television programmes that focus on antiques, collectibles and object d’art use Camden Passage as one of their main locations.  Alongside fine antiques, collectibles and furniture, you can also find period and costume jewellery, vintage and contemporary clothing, Japanese art prints, designer home products, handmade chocolates as well as specialist delicatessens, cafes restaurants and pubs.  One pub, the Camden Head, hosts the Angel Comedy Club where stand-up comedy shows are run nightly at very affordable prices.

Camden Passage Market actually consists of four separate market areas each having their own area of expertise and specialism.  Annie’s Antiques and Vintage Market is close to the Camden Head public house specialises in collectables and vintage fashion, bags and jewellery from 18th to 20th century.  Camden Passage Market itself, specialises in more vintage clothes and accessories as well as vintage luggage and homeware.  Charlton Place Market and Pierrepont Arcade are both covered markets which specialise in the more traditional antiques such as furniture, silverware, collectables and jewellery. 

The main market days are Wednesday and Saturday  – with a book market at the Pierrepont Arcade taking place on Thursdays and Fridays.   On Sundays many traders set up stalls that sell artisan food and crafts such as handmade soft furnishing, cushions, Indian quilts and interesting gifts.   So, generally, you will find something happening on most days of the week.  On the main market days the traders tend to start very early and the market is usually well under way by 08.30 and continues until around 16.00, when many of the dealers begin to pack up although the activity goes on for at least another hour.   Visiting Camden passage is a great way to pass the day, it’s an exciting place to explore and a great place to visit for tracking down unusual items.   The closest underground station is Angel. 

Chapel Street Market: For a different market experience  Chapel Street Market is worth a visit.  Located on Chapel Street in Angel, Islington it is a good old-fashioned traditional street market selling fruit, vegetables and flowers. Groceries and fish as well as bargain household goods, cut-price clothing and accessories.    The market stretches for about 3 blocks with around 230 stalls, most run by local people and catering for local people.  It is open on Tuesdays to Saturdays from 9am to 6pm.  Indeed, Chapel Street Market was used as the market place in the hit television sitcom, Only Fools and Horses.  On Sundays, the street is given over to the Islington Farmers Market selling local produce as well as organic and artisan foodstuffs.  This market offers a cornucopia of freshly made bread, cakes and pastries, organic fruit, vegetables and salad stuff, free-range meant and eggs, sustainable seafood and specialist cheeses, cream, milk and butter.  There is plenty of opportunity to taste before you buy and the surrounding food stalls, serving mouth-watering dishes will keep you going.   To get to Chapel Street the nearest underground station is Angel. 

Camden Lock Market: A couple of miles west of Chapel Street brings you to Chalk Farm and Camden Town.  Stables Market, Camden Town Market and Camden Lock Market sees stalls sprawling from the tube station right down to the Regent’s Canal and, with around 250,000 people coming every Sunday, it is one of London’s most popular tourist attractions.  Camden Market is one market with four main entrances: Camden Market Camden Lock, Camden Market Camden Lock Place, Camden Market The Stables and Camden Market North Yard. Camden Lock tends to specialise in arts and crafts, whereas Stables Market caters for the grunge customer, specialising in quirky furniture and fetish clothing. Buck Street Market, where you see the sign that says ‘Camden Market, is more a touristy kind of market selling t-shirts and tourist things.   All the markets are open seven days a week from around 10am through to 6pm, with the weekends being the busiest and Sunday especially so.  The nearest underground station is Camden Town or Chalk Farm. 

Stables Market, as its name depicts, was until the middle of the 20th century, horse stables and a horse hospital to look after the hundreds of horses needed to  pull trains, train parts, barges along the Regent’s Canal. and to transport goods and luggage.   The Stables Market was initially separate from Camden Lock Market but since 2014 the two have merged to form Camden Market.  The Stables Market is the largest of all the spaces in Camden and sells fashion, crafts and food from stalls that sprawl from the horse tunnels into the stable yard.   The row of shops between Stables Yard and Horse Tunnel Market bursts with independent small businesses and within the whole complex you can find unique items of jewellery, accessories, antique and ethnic furniture and clothing.   The covered market with its vaulted ceilings and crystal chandeliers is a wonder to behold. The area explodes with eateries, pubs  and entertainment, including FEST Camden, a club, art space and  burlesque venue offering alternative comedy, cabaret and indie music.  FEST Camden is housed in the 200 year old, Grade II listed building that used to be the old horse hospital.   Life-sized statues of horses in various stances abound and, in 2014, a life-sized bronze statue of local resident, the late Amy Winehouse, was created and now stands in Stables Market. 

Camden Lock, located in the picturesque lock bridge over Regent’s Canal, was originally a craft market.  Today it has developed considerably to include much more, whilst still retaining its bohemian atmosphere, and offering a huge variety of food, drink, music, entertainment and culture.  There are more than 100 stalls and shops near the canals where you can find fashion, designer clothes, punk paraphernalia, one-off artworks, vinyl and CDs, workshops, accessories, furnishings and just about anything you think you want and plenty that you didn’t know you wanted but will be tempted buy.  Pit stops for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner are well catered for with many cafes and street food stalls offering tasty dishes.  There is also a local gin micro-distillery where you can sample some Half Hitch gin.  Your day can be rounded off by visiting either the live music venue, Dingwalls or FEST Camden Club.  The nearest underground station is Camden Town. 

Church Street Market:  Intended as a rival to Covent Garden market, there has been a market on Church Street for hundreds of years. A stone’s throw from Edgeware Road Station and right in the heart of the Arabic district of London with its restaurants and shops selling halhal food and goods for the local population, today Church Street Market is a bustling, community-orientated market with some of the stall holders having been there for several generations.  At the Edgeware Road end you will encounter the tradition fruit, vegetable and fish stalls plus all the staples such as clothing, accessories, household goods, luggage, leather-goods and food stalls.  If you want a truly authentic, unpretentious working class experience of a multicultural London market then this is the place to go.  You won’t find artisanal breads or organic cheeses but you will find fresh food from all corners of the globe plus all the usual market wares at bargain prices.  If you get hungry there are plenty of food stalls, cafes and pubs to meet your needs.  The market is open Monday to Saturday from 08.00 to 18.00. At the Marylebone end of Church Street you will come across the antiques district and in particular you will find Alfie’s Antiques Market.

Alfie’s Antiques Market is one of the largest indoor markets in London.  Housed in a wonderful Egyptian-style art deco building over four floors, it specialises in vintage clothing (specifically covering the 1930s and 1940s)  together with antiques, 20th century design pieces, artwork, jewellery, homeware, furniture, memorabilia and other collectables.  There are more than 100 dealers offering high quality goods so picking up a  bargain is not very likely but it is still a wonderful place to visit and is very popular with collectors and interior designers.  Don’t leave without refreshing yourself in its rooftop cafe, a well-known suntrap with fabulous views over west London.   Alfie’s Antiques is open from Tuesday to Saturday between 10.00 to 18.00.  The nearest underground stations are either Marylebone or Edgware Road. 

Portobello Market:  Staying with antiques the world’s largest antique market and one of the oldest markets in London is located close by in the recently gentrified district of Notting Hill.  This is the famous Portobello Market.  A market has occupied this street since the early 19th century and its reputation for antiques began in the 1950s. Actually, Portobello Market isn’t just one market but five with all the different sections given over to specific things.  One section sells typical market produce of fruit and vegetables and groceries, another specialises in second-hand goods. A third area is dedicated to clothing and fashion whereas a fourth part concentrates on household essentials.  The main event, however, and the one that Portobello Road is most famous for is antiques.  This section is located mostly a the southern end of the street and the best day to go is on a Saturday where you will discover an incredible range of approximately 2000 stalls, all selling antiques. The rest of the week, the other sections remain open but many of the antique sellers move on to other markets across the country and beyond.   Get there early enough, before 11.30 if possible, and with patience you can find a bargain or special little curio to remember your visit by.  The stalls sell everything from collectibles, vintage clothing, lace, jewellery, books, artwork and plenty of street food stalls.   If you discover something that catches your eye don’t be afraid to haggle to try and buy it at a cheaper price.  Aside from the many goods on offer the whole area buzzes with cafes, shops and pubs.   The market is open from 09.00 to 18.00 Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  Thursday is a half-day with the market closing at 13.00.  Friday and Saturdays see trading hours from 09.00 through to 19.00.   The nearest underground station depends upon which direction you are starting from.  From the north end, Ladbroke Grove is closes but you can also walk to the market from Notting Hill underground station.  This takes about 7 minutes to walk.  Also, if you are staying in Bayswater, Portobello Road is an easy walk from there too. 

If you are staying in the Bayswater area be sure to take a stroll along the route next to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.  On the railings of the park are the weekly open-air exhibitions of artwork for sale by something like 300 artists.   Whatever the weather, every Sunday between 10.00 and 18.00 hrs, the road is transformed into a colourful outdoor art gallery with some of the artists having exhibited their work at the Royal Academy in Piccadilly.   The nearest underground station to see this is Lancaster Gate. 

Gray’s Antique Market: Leaving west London and heading eastwards takes us into the London’s West End.  One special antiques market to visit is Grays Antique Market in Mayfair.  Established in 1977 by Bennie Gray the market is located in a splendid Grade II listed 19th century building.  The market is home to a large and diverse collection of fine antiques, jewellery, militaria, porcelain, ceramics, silver an glassware and vintage fashion.  With over 100 professional and knowledgeable dealers, located in booths covering two floors you can discover things to suit most pockets although probably not the place if you are looking for a bargain.  Opening times are Monday to Friday, 10.00 to 18.00,  Saturday 11.00 to 17.00 and closed on Sunday. The nearest underground station is Bond Street. 

St. James’ Church Arts & Crafts Market: Continuing westward towards Piccadilly Circus you come to the charming and lively Arts & Crafts market in the north side of the courtyard of St James’ Church.  It first opened as part of the Piccadilly Arts Festival in 1981 and has grown and expanded since then.  Operating from Wednesday to Saturday between 10.00 and 18.00 hrs the site gives way to a food market on Mondays and Tuesdays.   Sadly, due to the corona virus the Church Council announced that it would not be opening in 2021 due to lack of tourists.  Hopefully, we will see this delightful little market with its hand-made ceramics, clothing, knitwear, jewellery, leather goods, toys and London souvenirs reopening when things return to normal.   The closest  underground station is Piccadilly Circus. 

Covent Garden: One famous landmark of London has to be the elegant neoclassical building in the heart of Covent Garden.  Way back in the 13th century the area had been quite rural and part of the land was used for growing crops and orchards by the Abbot of Westminster Abbey.  This became known as the Convent Garden – later shortened to Covent Garden. When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries in the 16th century the district was developed and fine houses, an Italian arcaded square and St Paul’s church were all built.  By the middle of the 17th century a small open-air fruit and vegetable market was established on the south side of the square, serving as a place where local market garden producers could sell their wares to local people.  Over time this market grew and developed with new buildings such as the Floral Hall, the Charter Market and the Jubilee Market all being added.  However, as the 20th century advanced traffic congestion made the old site inefficient and the fruit and vegetable market relocated 3 miles to the south-west at Nine Elms.   the original Covent Garden Market site reinvented itself into a thriving, bustling tourist destination for shopping and entertainment.   The whole location is fully pedestrianised with  cafes, pubs, small shops and several specialised markets, namely, The Apple Market, the Jubilee Market and the East Colonnade Market, all selling a wide range of handmade crafts such as jewellery, art and design goods, paintings, handbags, children’s knitwear and handmade soaps, which act to continue the market tradition in the area.    The stalls are ever-changing with Mondays given over to antiques and object d’art with the rest of the week given over to the arts and crafts goods.   There are plenty of permanent high-end speciality shops too as well as restaurants and cafes.  On the piazza itself you can be entertained by a musician, juggler, magician or other type of talented street entertainer.  Lively and entertaining and surrounded by beautiful elegant architecture, Covent Garden is a beautiful place to relax, shop and explore.  The market is open 7 days a week from 10.00 to 18.00 although the restaurants, bars, cafes and pubs means that it is constantly buzzing and entertaining.  The nearest underground station is Covent Garden itself although, because it doesn’t have escalators but only one lift to carry passengers to street level, it can get quite busy and congested.  Leicester Square underground station is only a short walk away and will get you to the market refreshed and stress-free.   

This concludes the major markets on the north side of the River Thames.  However, crossing over to the south side we have South Bank Market, Borough Market, Brixton Market, Bermondsey Market and, a little further south, Greenwich Market. 

Southbank Market: Southbank is the area that lies just across the River Thames from Westminster Bridge.  The London Eye – the huge Ferris Wheel – is here and all the other major London attractions like Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament are just a few minutes away.  On the Southbank you will find two markets, each specialising in completely different things: the Southbank Centre Food Market and the Southbank Centre Book Market.  The Food Market is located just behind the Festival Hall and has an everchanging selection of street food vendors, chosen wholly on their ability to provide food and drink that is not only delicious but also sustainable and ethically produced and prepared.  What better way to spend a relaxing Sunday afternoon than to amble along the riverside, admiring the views and stopping at the incredible variety of food stalls to nibble on tasty morsels created from recipes from across the world.  The Southbank Centre Food Market is open every weekend, including Fridays.  The times of trading are Fridays from 12.00 to 20.00 hrs. Saturdays from 11.00 to 20.00 hrs and from 12.00 to 18.00 hrs on Sundays an Bank Holiday Mondays.   Whilst at the Southbank wander over towards Waterloo Bridge and you will find, tucked underneath the bridge for protection from inclement weather, the Southbank Centre Book Market, which is open every day until 19.00 hrs.  A veritable treasure trove, where hours can be spent perusing the hundreds of classics, contemporary titles, hard covers, paperbacks, comics, prints and maps.  The closes underground station is Waterloo but there are more interesting ways to arrive. You could take the underground train to Embankment and then walk over the Golden Jubilee bridge to enjoy some amazing views across the Thames, or alternatively, get in the river – not literally but take an Uber Boat by Thames Clipper weekday river bus service which docks at London Eye pier.  Finally, you could rent a Santander bicycle and cycle there.  There are Santander Cycles docking points nearby at Jubilee Gardens,  Concert Hall Approach and Belvedere Road. 

Borough Market: Still south of the river and heading eastward towards London Bridge you will find Borough Market.  This iconic food market has existed in some from since the Romans built the original London Bridge in 43 AD.  It has been on its present site for the last 250 years and operates both as a wholesale and a retail food market.  With an emphasis on quality rather than cut-price the meat, fish, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, bread, cakes and pastries are of the best quality and this is where all the top restaurants in London source their ingredients.  It truly is a gourmet’s delight so don’t eat before you come! Aside from fresh produce and baked goods you will also find international delicacies, condiments, handmade chocolates and an amazing selection of street food served from stalls under its wrought-iron roof.  There is also a brand new communal dining area, The Borough Market Kitchen where you can eat.  You will really be spoilt for choice when deciding where you want to actually have a sit-down meal as there are lots of incredible restaurants in the market with culinary delights from practically any country you can think of.   Explore the warren of passageways that make up the market and you will encounter cooking clubs, bakery classes, demonstrations and many more things to grab your attention.   Borough Market has also been a location in at least three well-known films.   Parts of Harry Potter films were made from here, Bridget Jones’ flat overlooked the market and the film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels also used the market.  

Borough Market is open every day with the exception of Sundays and public holidays, although the times of trading differ.  Mondays and Tuesdays tend to be the quieter days with opening times between 10.00 and 17.00 hours and a slightly more limited array of choices and vendors.  From Thursday through to Saturday the market is in full swing with Thursday to Saturday being the busiest days.  Opening hours on Wednesday and Thursday are from 10.00 to 17.00 hrs, Friday from 10.00 to 18.00 hrs and Saturday from 08.00 to 17.00 hrs.   The nearest underground stations are either Borough or London Bridge, both within a short 5 minute walk to the market. 

Brixton Market: Going westward once more is Brixton Market and in particular Brixton Village and Market Row.  Brixton’s fairly recent history has been a troubled one with the decades of the 1980s and 1990s seeing riots arising from the social and economic problems of high unemployment, crime and poor housing and amenities that its predominantly Afro-Caribbean population were experiencing.  Since those dark, unsettled times the area has undergone some exciting regeneration.  It now is the home of a regular farmers market, is a venue for an array of pop-up shops and restaurants and is the location of the lively indoor markets which reflect its unique, multicultural population. Wandering under the railway arches through the covered arcades of Brixton Village Market you will  find a wealth of independent retail outlets selling jewellery, clothing, art, unusual gifts and antiques and things for the home. Here too you will be spoilt for choice with regards to deciding where to eat.  The Village Market is a foodie paradise offering delicious dishes from Portugal, Mexico, Caribbean, Fusion, seafood and on and on.   For a more traditional London market step outside the village into Electric Avenue which  houses even more local street food stalls and where you can stock up on fruit, vegetables and other market staples.   The area swings all day and rocks all night.  There are new art galleries, bars, cafes and clubs such as the live-music venue O2 Academy Brixton for rock music and Hootananny for a more edgy, cutting-edge style.    Trading hours for Brixton Village and Market Row are from 08.30 to 23.30 hrs every day except Monday when they close at  18.00 hrs.   The closest underground station is Brixton. 

Greenwich Market: The final market in this, by no means extensive list, is further away from central London at Greenwich.  Approximately 8 miles from central London and on the opposite bank to London docklands, historic Greenwich boasts an indoor market located inside a beautiful late 18th century building.  Inside you will find a wonderous array of goods for sale ranging from fashion, jewellery, second-hand furniture, arts and crafts, antiques, general bric-a-brac and food.  The market changes its focus on products for sale on a daily basis so you will always discover something different as well as rediscovering the regular stalls.  Open every day from 10.30 until 17.00 hrs there are something approaching 150 stalls on any given day. The market itself has vendors that sell delicious street food but the surrounding area also boasts many cafes, bars and restaurants from which to choose from.  Greenwich is a beautiful part of London that has many attractions such as the 19th century Tea Clipper ship, the Cutty Sark, The Royal Observatory – where you can straddle the meridian line – The Old Royal Naval College and the 17th century Queen’s House which was a former royal residence.  Finally, one should not visit Greenwich without climbing the hill to Greenwich Park with its amazing views. 

Getting to Greenwich by underground is not easy.  The only tube station is North Greenwich on the Jubilee Line but this serves the O2 stadium which  is nearly 2 miles away from where you wish to go.  Better to take the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Cutty Sark station, with the market being just a 2 minute walk away. From central London you can alight the Docklands Light Railway from either Bank or Stratford underground stations or pick up the DLR from Tower Gateway DLR station near the Tower of London.  Alternatively you can hop on a Thames Riverboat from one of the many central London piers and cruise down the river to Greenwich – they all stop there.