Street trading is selling from a stall, stand, or vehicle in the street rather than in a market hall or square. A collection of regular, and adjacent, street traders forms a street market. Where traders operate on their own, from a regular location, these are variously described as isolated pitches, scattered sites, or miscellaneous sites. Peripatetic traders are termed pedlars.
Cheapside was the oldest known market in London, possibly established in the late ninth century during the reign of King Alfred.[1]
The large number of street markets in London is due to the 1327 granting of market rights to the City of London. This allowed the city to control the establishment of markets within a radius of six and two thirds miles [10.7km] being the distance a person could be expected to walk to market, sell his produce and return in a day.[2] The city's market rights caused London's markets to develop differently from the rest of England in their own legislative framework.
The City of London used these rights to prevent the establishment of private markets within the growing urban area outside of the city. Since shops were still a rarity and street trading fell outside the definition of a market, street traders would collect produce from the city's wholesale markets and wheel it to busy thoroughfares on carts from which they would then sell. This practice continued into the late twentieth century:
Albert died when George was 12 and he left school to earn a living. He was charged with taking a horse-pulled cart to Covent Garden, load up with produce, and drive it through crowded streets to Inverness Street Market, where his brother Billy ran stalls.[3]
Traders were self-regulating. They paid no fees and were subject to no legislation or bylaws.
London Labour and the London Poor
Henry Mayhew’s 1851 survey of London lists 37 street markets comprising 3,137 stalls with an additional 9,000 street traders not fixed to a street market.[4]
No goods or other articles shall be allowed to rest on any footway or other part of a street within the limits of this Act, or be otherwise allowed to cause obstruction or inconvenience to the passage of the public, for a longer time than may be absolutely necessary for loading or unloading such goods or other articles.[5]
The sixth section of the Metropolitan Streets Act, 1867, prohibiting the deposit of goods in the streets, shall not apply to costermongers, street hawkers, or itinerant traders, so long as they carry on their business in accordance with the regulations from time to time made by the Commissioner of Police, with the approval of the Secretary of State.[7]
Whilst the legal threat to the livelihoods of traders had receded, street traders were now subject to regulation by the police. The police required that stalls were no more than 9 feet (2.7m) wide 3 feet (0.9m) deep and 4 feet (1.2m) apart from each other. Where the police deemed a stall to be obstructing the public highway, they could be confiscated and traders would need to pay for the storage along with a fine.[8]
London County Council’s survey
In 1893, the London County Council’s survey of London's markets listed 112 street markets. These markets comprised 5,292 stalls, 4,502 belonging to costermongers and the rest being maintained by shopkeepers.[9]
Despite reorganisations of London's local government and changes to the underlying legislation, the licensing regime has continued. As of 2020, street trading in London is regulated under the London Local Authorities Act 1990 (c. vii) (as amended)[11] and part III of the Food Act 1984 (c. 30),[12] depending on the local authority. Whilst the London Local Authorities Act 1990 allows the regulation of street trading on private roads and areas open to the public within 7 metres of any road or footway, most local authorities only regulate street trading on the public highway.
In the early 21st century, the City of London has taken a much more circumscribed interpretation of its market rights, limiting itself to wholesale markets.[14] This has allowed a proliferation of farmers, niche, and street-food markets on private land in central London. There were 27 private markets in central London in 2014.[13]
Independent management of street markets
Whilst most street markets are managed by local authorities, some are managed by volunteers or private companies:
Brixton is a district in South London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Brixton experienced a rapid rise in population during the 19th century as communications with central London improved.
East Street Market also known locally as 'East Street', 'The Lane', or 'East Lane', is a street market in Walworth in South East London.
Brixton Market comprises a street market in the centre of Brixton, south London, and the adjacent covered market areas in nearby arcades Reliance Arcade, Market Row and Granville Arcade.
A costermonger, coster, or costard is a street seller of fruit and vegetables in British towns. The term is derived from the words costard and monger (seller), and later came to be used to describe hawkers in general. Some historians have pointed out that a hierarchy existed within the costermonger class and that while costermongers sold from a handcart or animal-drawn cart, mere hawkers carried their wares in a basket.
Romford Market is a large outdoor retail market located in Romford in the London Borough of Havering, England. The market right was established by royal order in 1247. Rival markets are prohibited within 6.66 miles (10.72 km). Governance of the market was strengthened by the 1465 charter of the Liberty of Havering, which was administered from a court house at the western end of the market. Formerly a livestock and agricultural market, cattle was last sold in 1958. The market has been in local authority ownership since it was purchased by the Romford Local Board in 1892 and is now owned by Havering Council. The marketplace was located on the main east–west road through the town until traffic was diverted away from the market in 1969. The market is promoted as a filming location. It is open on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As of July 2020 it has 60 licensed traders, down from a peak of over 300.
Petticoat Lane Market is a fashion and clothing market in Spitalfields, London. It consists of two adjacent street markets. Wentworth Street Market is open six days a week and Middlesex Street Market is open on Sunday only.
A hawker is a vendor of merchandise that can be easily transported; the term is roughly synonymous with costermonger or peddler. In most places where the term is used, a hawker sells inexpensive goods, handicrafts, or food items. Whether stationary or mobile, hawkers often advertise by loud street cries or chants, and conduct banter with customers, to attract attention and enhance sales.
A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a chapman, packman, cheapjack, hawker, higler, huckster, (coster)monger, colporteur or solicitor, is a door-to-door and/or travelling vendor of goods. In 19th-century America the word "drummer" was often used to refer to a peddler or traveling salesman; as exemplified in the popular play Sam'l of Posen; or, The Commercial Drummer by George H. Jessop.
Inverness Street Market is an outdoor street market in Camden, North London. Licences to trade are issued by Camden London Borough Council.
Earlham Street Market is a street market in situated in the Seven Dials area of Covent Garden on a short road between Shaftesbury Avenue and Monmouth Street. Licences to trade are issued by Camden London Borough Council.
The Cut is a street in London which runs between Waterloo Road in Lambeth and Blackfriars Road in Southwark, approximately parallel to the South Eastern Railway. The Old Vic theatre is at the western (Lambeth) end, and the more experimental Young Vic theatre halfway along on the other side. Lewisham Southwark College is sited on the south side of the Cut and at the eastern (Southwark) end is Southwark Underground station. Waterloo and Waterloo East stations are also nearby.
A marketplace, market place or just market is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a souk, bazaar, a fixed mercado (Spanish), or itinerant tianguis (Mexico), or palengke (Philippines). Some markets operate daily and are said to be permanent markets while others are held once a week or on less frequent specified days such as festival days and are said to be periodic markets. The form that a market adopts depends on its locality's population, culture, ambient and geographic conditions. The term market covers many types of trading, as market squares, market halls and food halls, and their different varieties. Thus marketplaces can be both outdoors and indoors, and in the modern world, online marketplaces.
The Royal Commission on the Corporation of the City of London was a Royal Commission, established in 1853, which considered the local government arrangements of the City of London and the surrounding metropolitan area.
Queen's Crescent Market is an outdoor street market held every Thursday and Saturday on Queen's Crescent in Kentish Town, Camden between the junction with Malden Road in the West and the junction with Grafton Road in the East. Licences to trade are issued by Camden London Borough Council.
Stocks Market was a market in central London operating between 1282 and 1737 and for centuries was London's main retail meat and produce market.
Chalton Street Market is a street market in Camden, North London.
Plender Street Market is an outdoor street market in Camden, North London. Licences to trade are issued by Camden London Borough Council.
Goodge Place Market is an outdoor street market in Fitzrovia, in the London Borough of Camden. Licences to trade are issued by Camden London Borough Council.
Leather Lane Market is an outdoor street market in the Holborn area of the London Borough of Camden. Taking place on Leather Lane, it is the oldest street market in Camden. Licences to trade are issued by Camden London Borough Council.
The Metropolitan Streets Act 1867 was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom applying to the City of London and all places and parishes then within the jurisdiction of the Metropolitan Board of Works. Following public meetings and press criticism of the original act's likely effect on street traders' livelihoods, the Metropolitan Streets Act Amendment Act 1867 was granted royal assent on 7 December the same year.
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