Image credit: Goodwillgames / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · 2010-03-21 ↗
Smithfield Market: 800 Years of Trade Still Alive
Smithfield · St Paul’s → Newgate → Smithfield → Clerkenwell · Market / urban transformation / museum / living history
Story
For over eight hundred years, Smithfield has been one of London's most significant trading centres. While its reputation is largely associated with the Victorian meat market visible today, its history stretches back to the Middle Ages, when it was a vast 'smooth field' just outside the City, used for livestock markets, fairs, and public executions. The meat market, with its impressive iron and glass structures designed by Horace Jones, stands as a testament to 19th-century industrial architecture, yet its function is a direct continuation of a centuries-old tradition. Today, activity at the meat market remains vibrant, beginning long before dawn. The City has confirmed that traders are expected to remain on this site until at least 2028, ensuring the continuity of this legacy. Adjacent to it, the former General Market is being transformed to house the new Museum of London, set to open in 2026. Both are chapters in an ongoing story of urban transformation.
What to look for
Look for the grand Victorian iron and glass structures that form the market halls, designed by Horace Jones. Notice the constant movement of vehicles and people characteristic of ongoing trade, and the contrast with the restoration work on the adjacent former General Market.
Secret detail
As you explore, experience the overlay of different eras: the centuries-old trading tradition that is still very much alive, the defining Victorian architecture, and the contemporary transformation of the former General Market into the future Museum of London.
Where exactly
Walk the exterior of Smithfield Market and Grand Avenue; also observe the former General Market, which is becoming the Museum of London.
Orientation
Observe from public space; do not enter loading areas or obstruct traders.
Why it matters
Smithfield reveals how London balances the preservation of centuries-old trading traditions with adaptation to new urban needs. It illustrates the evolution of commerce, market architecture, and the reinvention of historic spaces for the city's future.
Access & opening
Active market logistics and museum/public-realm works can alter pedestrian routes. London Museum opens 28 Nov 2026, not before.
Exterior free. London Museum permanent galleries announced as free from 28 Nov 2026.
We never show live status. Check opening hours before you go.
Accessibility
Public realm generally accessible but construction diversions may change routes.