Camden Lock Market, London

Camden Lock Market brings together adjoining retail markets beside the Regent’s Canal, on ground once occupied by canal warehouses and related premises. Its character grew from a Sunday crafts market that began near the lock in 1974, then expanded into a wider mix of stalls and permanent shops. The Lock remains the main craft market within the group, though you also find books, clothing, jewellery, and plentiful fast food.

Look at the indoor hall’s brickwork and cast-iron construction: John Dickinson designed it, drawing on the industrial buildings and housing associated with the area. Beyond the hall, the market’s cosmopolitan offer ranges from handmade goods and clothing to books, bric-a-brac, and food. The surrounding Camden markets occupy the historic former Pickfords stables, while the Stables Market includes arches in railway viaducts and focuses especially on furniture and decorative goods.

This is also a remarkably busy destination: approximately 250,000 people visit the markets each week, making them London’s fourth-most popular visitor attraction. Their story includes a difficult episode too: a bomb hidden in a litter bin near the market injured 11 people on 28 February 1993, and a large fire struck Camden Lock shortly after midnight on 10 July 2017. Even after those events, the canal-side craft market remains the defining experience here.