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'Camden Market' is a large craft and clothing market in Camden Town. It is the fourth most popular visitor attraction in London, attracting approximately 100,000 people each weekend.^[1] It began in its present form in 1974 when the Camden Lock crafts market was formed, although the traditional local street market in Inverness Street, which has now been absorbed by Camden Market, existed before that.^[2]

Contents

The markets

Camden Lock Market

Stables Market

Camden Canal Market

Buck Street Market

Electric Ballroom

Inverness Street Market

Chalk Farm Road

References

See also

External links

The markets

Camden Market can be divided into six sections:

Camden Lock Market

'Camden Lock Market' is situated by the Regent's Canal on a site formerly occupied by warehouses and other premises connected with the canal. By the early 1970s the canal trade had ceased. At the time there was a proposal to build an urban motorway through the site, which made any major redevelopment impossible, so in 1974 a temporary market was established instead. By the time the motorway proposal was abandoned in 1976, the market was flourishing, and on its way to becoming the best known feature of Camden Town. Camden Market as a whole is now so popular that Camden Town tube station operates special entrance and exit rules at the weekend.
Camden Lock Market was originally a craft market, occupying some outdoor areas by the canal and various existing buildings. The range of goods has widened, with stalls selling books, clothing, second hand clothing and jewellery, but it is still the most craft focused of the Camden Markets. There is a large selection of catering stalls outside. A three storey indoor market hall designed by architect John Dickinson opened in 1991. It is built of brick with a large amount of cast iron work in a traditional style, and is almost indistinguishable from the 19th century industrial architecture and housing in the area.
As of 2006 a large indoor market hall is under construction in a yard between the Camden Lock Market and the Stables Market, which was previously used for open air stalls.

Stables Market

The 'Stables Market' is the largest section of Camden Market. The market has been built in the former Midland Railway stables and horse hospital. Many of the stalls and shops are set into huge arches in railway viaducts.
There is a mixture of indoor and outdoor shops and stalls, some of them permanent, other hired by the day. Chain stores are not permitted. Like most of the other markets with Camden Market, the Stables Market has many clothes stalls. It is also the main home of furniture stores in the Markets, and many household goods and decorative items are also sold, many of them hand-made, and often ethnically influenced. Some of the goods are second hand.
Another focus is on clothing and art pieces for alternative sub-cultures such as goths and cyber-goths. Two of the more famous of these shops are ''Black Rose'', which caters for goths, with items for sale such as coffin-shaped handbags, and ''Cyberdog'', which houses a huge range of neon PVC and rubber clothing.
Whilst the Stables Market, and the Camden markets generally, have their roots in alternative sub-cultures, high numbers of tourists Visitor numbers are now so high that Camden tube station is way-out only on Sunday afternoons.
During the weeks leading up to Christmas in 2004, the high-profile radio DJ and TV presenter Chris Evans made use of a stall in the Stables Market to sell many of his possessions, ranging from sofas to TVs and crockery.
As of 2006 a large indoor market hall is under construction in a yard between the Stables Market and Camden Lock Market, which was previously used for open air stalls.

Camden Canal Market

The section along the canal to the east of Chalk Farm Road is known as the Canal Market. There is a covered entrance tunnel leading into a general outdoor market. ^[3]

Buck Street Market

Outdoor market focusing on clothes.
There are a few stallholders who design their own wares though at the weekend you are more likely to find these in the Electric Ballroom market.

Electric Ballroom

An indoor market open on Saturdays and Sundays.

Inverness Street Market

A small traditional street market.

Chalk Farm Road

Most of the shops in Chalk Farm Road sell alternative culture goods, and many of them operate with their frontages wide open in a semi market style.
As of 2006 a large indoor market hall is under construction in a yard between the Stables Market and Camden Lock Market, which was previously used for open air stalls.
The Camden Market area is famed as the stamping ground of many well known musicians, including Madness who bought their loafers at the British Boot Company, the first distributors of Doc Martens in the UK. Between 1976 and 1979 The Clash lived and rehearsed in one of the market's Mongool warehouses. There are several well known music venues nearby.

References

1. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/transport/article93042.ece
2. http://www.camdenlock.net/camden.html
3. http://www.camdenlock.net/canmarket/index.html

See also

★ Markets in London

★ Portobello Road

External links

★ Camden Town Online

★ Inverness Street section of Camden Guide

★ camdenlock.net

★ Camden Markets website with detailed map

★ Official Website