Photo: Jim Linwood
Petticoat Lane Market
Petticoat Lane is one of London's oldest and most characterful street markets, trading on the lanes around Middlesex Street and Wentworth Street since the 1650s. The name once referred to the petticoats and lace sold here, until the Victorians renamed the street Middlesex Street, though the market kept its famous old name. Sitting where the City of London meets the East End in Aldgate, it is a genuine pocket of working London culture: a huge Sunday clothing and bric-a-brac market alongside a weekday lunchtime food court serving the surrounding offices.
Opening times
The main market runs every Sunday from 9am to 3pm, spreading across Middlesex Street, Wentworth Street and the surrounding lanes. On weekdays, Monday to Friday from 11am to 3:30pm, a street food court operates on Goulston Street and Wentworth Street for the lunchtime crowd. Sunday late morning is the busiest and most atmospheric time to come for the full sprawl of stalls.
What's on the stalls
Sundays are dominated by clothing and accessories, from cheap fashion and textiles to leather goods, alongside general bric-a-brac including children's toys, perfumes and household odds and ends. Holland Textiles and other long-standing traders still line the street. On weekdays the focus shifts to the food court, where independent vendors serve freshly made lunches spanning a range of international cuisines.
Around the market / getting there
The market sits at the heart of Aldgate, straddling the boundary of the City of London and Tower Hamlets. The nearest stations are Aldgate (Circle and Metropolitan lines), Aldgate East (District and Hammersmith & City lines) and Liverpool Street, all a short walk away. Pair a visit with nearby Brick Lane and Spitalfields Market for a full East End market day.
Common questions
- What are Petticoat Lane Market opening times?
- The full market runs every Sunday from 9am to 3pm across Middlesex Street and Wentworth Street, and a weekday food court operates Monday to Friday from 11am to 3:30pm on Goulston Street and Wentworth Street.
- Is Petticoat Lane Market free?
- Yes, entry is completely free. You only pay for the clothing, goods or food you choose to buy from the stalls.
- What is the best time to visit Petticoat Lane Market?
- Sunday late morning is the best time, when the full market is in full swing with over a thousand stalls. For street food, come at weekday lunchtime between 11am and 3:30pm.
- Where is Petticoat Lane Market?
- It is in Aldgate, on Middlesex Street and Wentworth Street on the City of London and Tower Hamlets border. The nearest stations are Aldgate, Aldgate East and Liverpool Street.
Other markets nearby
- Old Spitalfields Market Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets
- The Truman Brewery Markets Brick Lane, Shoreditch
- Backyard Market Brick Lane, Shoreditch (Tower Hamlets)
- Brick Lane Market Shoreditch / Spitalfields, Tower Hamlets
- Sunday Upmarket Brick Lane, Spitalfields
- Leadenhall Market City of London