London’s Historic Markets Face Closure, Ending Centuries of Tradition

London’s historic Smithfield and Billingsgate markets are slated for closure after the City of London Corporation voted to withdraw its support. This decision marks the end of two institutions that have been integral to London life for nearly a millennium. Smithfield, originally situated just outside the medieval city walls, has operated as a market since at least the 12th Century. Characterized by its expansive fields—the name Smithfield is believed to originate from the Old English “smeeth field,” describing the flat, open area extending to the River Fleet—it was where animals were kept for fattening before being sold and slaughtered. Clerk William Fitzstephen documented the market in 1174, noting how “every Friday there is a celebrated rendezvous of fine horses to be sold… [pigs] with deep flanks, and cows and oxen of immense bulk”. Market rights were subsequently granted to the City of London by Edward III in 1327, and over the centuries, the livestock market persisted as London expanded around it. In 1726, Daniel Defoe lauded it as “without question, the greatest in the world,” but by the 1800s, the presence of live animals within a rapidly growing city began to draw objections from some Londoners. Charles Dickens was among those who complained about the unsanitary conditions, writing in Oliver Twist in the late 1830s that it had become a place where “countrymen, butchers, drovers, hawkers, boys, thieves, idlers, and vagabonds of every low grade, were mingled together in a mass”. Dickens further described market mornings, where the ground was “covered, nearly ankle-deep, with filth and mire,” and “the bleating of sheep, the grunting and squeaking of pigs… the shouts, oaths and quarrelling on all sides… rendered it a stunning and bewildering scene”. By the 1850s, the noise and waste had become excessive, leading to the passage of an Act of Parliament to close the livestock market. A replacement was subsequently opened in Islington in 1855. To utilize the vacated space in Smithfield, a grand wholesale meat market was constructed for traders to process animal carcasses, which were then primarily sold to shops and restaurants. Designed by Horace Jones, the architect behind Tower Bridge, this massive development incorporated an underground freight railway to transport vast quantities of produce, alongside other cutting-edge technology, much of which is now being rediscovered. The Times reported the new market opened at 03:00 on its inaugural day, with its reporter expressing delight at the “fine show of meat and poultry” on display. Over subsequent decades, additional buildings were added, and Smithfield managed considerable volumes of meat, including imports from across the globe. A unique atmosphere developed within this male-dominated environment, with generations of the same families joining the workforce. Roles were strictly divided, often with unusual job titles. There were “puller-backs” who unloaded meat from lorries upon carcass arrival and transferred it to “pitchers,” who then carried the meat into shops to be hung on hooks. “Humpers” placed meat onto scales, which were overseen by the “scales-man,” before “bummarees” (porters) conveyed the purchased meat to waiting vans. Over time, various traditions formed, such as initiation ceremonies where new workers were stripped naked, placed on a trolley, and pelted with rotten food, offal, and blood. “Meat races” involved workers running through the hall with giant sides of beef across their shoulders. The market survived major fires and bombing during World War Two but entered a period of decline in the second half of the 20th Century due to changing circumstances, including reduced meat deliveries to London’s docks and supermarkets buying directly from distributors. By the 1990s, parts of the market had been abandoned and fallen into disrepair. Currently, only the East and West Market buildings are in use, housing 42 trading premises, a significant reduction from the 162 stalls for which these two structures were originally designed. Even so, the Corporation of London reports that more than 100,000 tonnes of meat products pass through Smithfield each year. Billingsgate Market also possesses a similarly long history, evolving from an open-air medieval market on the banks of the Thames in the Square Mile to its current form as a bustling warehouse in Poplar near Canary Wharf. While it is presently the largest inland fish market in the UK, Billingsgate initially served as a trading hub for a diverse range of commodities, from corn, coal, and iron, to wine, salt, and fish. The 16th Century saw the market transition to exclusively selling fish. In 1699, Parliament enacted legislation establishing “a free and open market for all sorts of fish,” with the exception of eels, the sale of which was reserved for Dutch fishermen alone as a gesture of gratitude for their assistance in feeding Londoners during the Great Fire of 1666. Until approximately 1840, fish and seafood were sold from sheds surrounding the dock. However, due to the increasing volume of produce, a purpose-built market was constructed on Lower Thames Street. This structure soon proved inadequate, necessitating its replacement with a new building—another elaborate design by Horace Jones—which commenced operations in 1876. Notable figures who frequented its stalls included George Orwell, the notorious Kray twins, and comedian Micky Flanagan, who briefly served as a fish porter during his teenage years. Flanagan recounted to Kirsty Young on Desert Island Discs, “It was hard, it was an early start, freezing cold, putting on damp clothes, delivering fish in the rain, your hands used to really hurt from the ice – it wasn’t for me.” As the market faced space constraints and received complaints regarding the odor of fish drifting across the UK’s financial hub, a 13-acre purpose-built site was inaugurated in Poplar in 1982. The BBC’s Chris Lowe was present for what proved to be a contentious opening morning, with traders describing the situation as “chaos” and “a disaster,” noting it was not solely due to the absence of “tea-shops open.” Lowe personally criticized the fact that there was “no smoked salmon to be found anywhere.” This expansive trading hall, comprising nearly 100 stands and 30 shops, processes approximately 25,000 tonnes of fish and fish products annually. The Corporation’s vote to withdraw its support follows a failed initiative to relocate Billingsgate, Smithfield, and the New Spitalfields horticultural market to Dagenham. While some hope a new fish market could be opened elsewhere, this decision, similar to Smithfield’s situation, signifies the conclusion of the City’s centuries-long involvement with these markets. On Tuesday morning, prior to the Corporation’s vote, a Billingsgate employee informed BBC London that the outcome was already evident, stating, “it’s all about the money now.” The worker added, “It just means another tradition that will go in London.”