Walthamstow Market
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Walthamstow High Street | |
  Walthamstow High Street shown within Greater London |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| London borough | Waltham Forest |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | E17 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| European Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Walthamstow |
| London Assembly | North East |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Walthamstow Market in the London Borough of Waltham Forest, is the longest (though not the largest) daily open market in Europe. It occupies all but the last 100 metres of Walthamstow's High Street. It is reputed to be a mile long, but in fact measures approximately one kilometre.
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[edit] History and characteristics of the area
The 19th century Marsh Street, a rural lane, was transformed into the High Street by Victorian expansion. The street market dates from 1885. Today it is the centre of Walthamstow, with the main rail and tube station, bus station, post office and Central Library, and most of the commercial development and activity located around the High Street.
Six days a week, the High Street is dominated by Walthamstow Market, and Saturdays are crowded. There is currently a small Sunday farmers market held in the Town Square section of the street.
The market stretches the entire length of the High Street, apart from the last 100 metres of the street, and has about 500 stalls. The street is lined with shops of different sizes, from small traditionally sized shops to large supermarkets. Generally, the shops do not extend into the side streets, which are densely populated with terraced houses. It is in a diverse, ethnically mixed ward. Forty-one per cent of residents (in the Ward as a whole) come from a Black or Minority Ethnic community: mostly from the Pakistani and African-Caribbean communities.
The market has kept a traditional cockney feel whilst absorbing influences from the diverse cultures of the area. The overall tone is downmarket but with many interesting and enjoyable aspects.
[edit] High street chains
There are two main areas of new building which break away from the traditional character of the street:
Sainsbury's supermarket is set in a new development which includes a few other shops, which use the street frontage that Sainsburys does not need, and a two storey car park above. There is a lift connecting the car park to the supermarket, but is not reserved for customers only.
The Mall Selborne Walk is a much larger complex with shop frontages on the High Street, and an indoor shopping mall. Most of the units are chains, the largest being BHS. The back of the complex, on Selbourne Road, is blank apart from car park entrances, and a pedestrian entrance linking to nothing in particular.
[edit] Independent retailers
There are many independent small shops specialising in ethnic foods (Polish, Russian, Indian, Chinese, Caribbean, South Asian etc), Halal and English butchers, fabrics, household goods etc. as well as cafes.
One of London's increasingly rare pie and mash shops, L. Manze, opened in 1929 and still serves the traditional meat pie, mushy peas, 'liquor' and mashed potatoes, with jellied eels on the side.
[edit] Market stalls
Stalls sell 'fruit and veg', cheap clothes, kitchen and hardware items including a vacuum cleaner spares stall, and a few stalls sell music CDs.
[edit] Market infrastructure and management
The market is managed by the London Borough of Waltham Forest.
[edit] Transport
Victoria Line
Lee Valley Line
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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