London Guide - Camden Market
EducationLondon Guide - Camden Market
What started out as a Sunday morning craft market in the Camden Lock area of London in 1974, has turned into one of the country's largest and busiest market areas.
Today the market is situated over six areas of Camden and sells an eclectic mix of bijou clothing and jewelry, rare and unusual accessories, alternative makeup, vintage clothing and jewelry, antiques, designer furniture, modern art, artisan crafts, bric - a - brac, second hand goods, collectables and traditional food and general produce, making the whole area a Mecca for followers of alternative culture and seekers of the unusual.
Even the regular shops that line the town's main streets have been turned into specialist emporiums which have become a haven for collectors of rare books, comics and music.
The markets are an ideal location for bargain hunters of the alternative, one off creations or for those of you that just want something a little different from the norm.
The area as a whole could have been created around the term ' shabby chic ' and along with it's bustling streets and Bohemian ambience is still worth a visit, if only to soak up it's vibrant and cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Image courtesy of Grim23, wikimedia commons.
What else makes Camden Market such a hit is it's location, situated as it is, in a former Victorian railway yard and along the banks of the Regent's Canal, giving the town a shabby, care worn feel to it that is not ashamed to show off it's industrial heritage.
The town started life in the late 1790's as a low class residential area, before becoming a major transportation hub after the building of the Regent's Canal in 1816.
The town then went onto become an important area in the development of the new era of the railway in the mid 1800's.
As each industry rose and fell, Camden both cashed in and bounced back, and it is this dogged and determined attitude to survive, that is still so prominent in the town today.
The market areas are all situated in the town's old industrial quarters, and are reminiscent of it's history by way of their names.
The Stables Market - an area that once housed the railway's pack horses - Camden Lock Market - site of the busy canal's lock system - Camden Lock Village - home of the men and women who worked the canal.
Other retail areas are the Buck Street and Inverness Street markets, as well as the town's High Street.
The town also offers a large collection of both traditional and ethnic restaurants, several music venues and a host of traditional pubs and trendy bars.
Image courtesy of Cnbrb, wikimedia commons
The Borough of Camden is only two and half miles from the centre of London, and even transport into the area is unique, done so by way of it's regular Water Bus that traverses the Regent's Canal between Little Venice in Paddington and Camden, stopping off at Regent's Park with London Zoo along the way.
The canal also holds testament to the area's history, by way of it's many canal wharfs and warehouses, some of which remain undeveloped, that line the route, giving the visitor a feel of how the area was a hundred or so years ago.
Image courtesy of Oxyman, wikimedia commons.
For those of you that prefer a more traditional route into the area, the town is served by way of Camden Underground Station and of course by road, although due to the volume of tourists and locals visiting the markets, parking could prove a problem in the area.
There is also a canal towpath that runs the full 2 1/2 miles of canal side from Paddington to Camden, which is open for use by pedestrians and cyclists.
The area as a whole is situated on level ground, although there are some slight inclines down to the canal side and the Stables Market area is paved with cobble stones, with one steep incline and several stairways.
The markets are situated both indoors and out, so weather conditions should not have an adverse affect on a day out in the area.
ADDRESS - Camden High Street.
POST CODE - NW1.
WEBSITES - www.camdenlockmarket.com / www.camdenlock.net
UNDERGOUND ACCESS - Camden Station.
WATER BUS - Camden Lock at Primrose Hill, NW1 8AF.
Regent's Park at London Zoo NW1 4RY.
Paddington at Little Venice W2 6NE. This is situated at the back of the National Rail station at Paddington,
making it easy for those arriving by inter city rail.
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