Leabank Square is surrounded by fantastic markets in all directions – so get out there and snap up very cheap bargains!

Bilingsgate Fish Market - Tue-Sat 5am-8:30am
Take the train from Hackney Wick to Stratford – the hop on the brilliant DLR driverless train to Canay Wharf – and you’ll see the market below you on the left hand side.

If jellied eels, potted shrimps, winkles and cockles all take your fancy, then London's most famous fish market - Billingsgate - is well worth a visit! As the UK’s largest (it covers an area of 13 acres) it trades a huge amount of fish and crustaceans each year, in fact over 35, 000 tonnes worth. Although mainly restaurant owners, hoteliers and those in the catering trade buy here, as it’s an open market, members of the public are also welcome.

Please check out: www.billingsgate-market.org.uk

Brick Lane Market – Sundays only – very early to about 2.30pm
Take number 388 bus from St Mary’s Church & get off at Brick Lane stop.

Part of the fun is following the side streets to see where they lead and picking the jewels out from the junk. You'll find things to wear (leather is a speciality) and eat as well as lots of items that might "come in handy one day". It's easy to get side-tracked by the many stalls and boxes of collectables.

If the aroma from the beigel bakeries doesn't tempt you, the Bangladeshi restaurants probably will. Expect to find anything from furniture to fruits, kitchenware to kitsch and odd boots to bangles.

Open from early morning until about 14.00 (Sundays only) - allow plenty of time to see it all as the market stretches into Cheshire Street and Sclater Street.

Broadway Market - Saturdays from 9am to 5pm
Take either the number 26 or 388 busses from St Mary’s Church & get off at the Regents Canal stop – walk along the canal to the next lock & follow the sign for Broadway Market. Alternatively – cycle through Viccie Park and along the canal to the well sign-posted Broadway Market.

Organic rare breed pork, veal and venison. Sea food and fresh fish. Organic and conventional tomatoes. Handmade cheese butter and butter milk. Organic fair-trade coffee. Organic breads, cakes and pastries. Health products and clothing, including USA street clothes and vintage clothing from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Broadway is a great little market that is expanding rapidly and enjoys a tremendous reputation among food fans everywhere. It's worth the trip down there as there are a tremendous variety of goods and the prices are well below those at the more famous markets in town.
Please check out: http://www.broadwaymarket.co.uk/history.html

Chapel Market - Tue-Sun, 9am-6pm
Take the number 30 bus from St Mary’s Church to the Angel stop in Islington & follow the signs to Chapel Market.

Despite the market's stall holders worrying that Islington's new N1 Centre will adversely affect their trade, Chapel Market remains (for the time being at least) a popular shopping haunt with locals and tourists alike. Selling a wide variety of goods, including clothes, fruit/vegetables and household goods, it's also just a stone's throw from restaurants on Upper Street such as Walkabout, Cuba Libre and Granita.
One great tip – there is a key-cutting stall that has got to be the cheapest in all London half-way down the market.

Colombia Road Flower Market – Sundays Only – very early to about 2.30pm
Take number 26 bus from St Mary’s Church & get off at Colombia Road stop.

Columbia Road has a wonderful atmosphere and the market is fringed with quirky shops and cafes, where customers compare purchases and swap stories of gardening triumphs.

Tucked away in an unlikely side street in the heart of the East End - Columbia Road feels like your own secret bit of London. The magic starts as you spot the first signs of the market - people whose faces are hidden by great armfuls of plants and flowers they've just bought.

Follow the trail and immerse yourself in a colourful world of plants and pots, flowers and fresh coffee. There are over 50 flower and plant stalls selling quality and often unusual, plants at bargain prices. Columbia Road's characters are just as colourful as the plants, with their ready patter and gardening advice.
Come early to beat the crowds - or late for a last minute bargain!

Islington Farmers' Market - Sun 10am-2pm
Take the number 30 bus from St Mary’s Church & get off at the Angel stop in Islington & follow the signs to the Islington Green.

This is a very popular Sunday market with a wide-range of produce, including meat and cheeses from farms within 100 miles of London. As well as fruit and vegetables, you'll also find specialist butchers (selling traditional English sausages), egg sellers, jam stalls, mustards/sauces, ciders, wines and fruit juices.
Also check out: www.lfm.org.uk

Petticoat Lane Market - Monday to Friday, and on Sundays from 9.00 to 14.00
Take the number 26 bus from St Mary’s Church & get off at Liverpool Street Station & Follow signs to Petticoat Lane.

Probably the most famous and oldest of all London's street markets, Petticoat Lane was established over 400 years ago and still attracts visitors from all over the world. The Huguenots who came to London from France sold petticoats and lace here but the prudish Victorians changed the name of the Lane and market to avoid referring to woman's underclothes!

The market actually takes place in Wentworth Street on Monday - Friday, spreading on Sundays to become even bigger with 10 separate trading streets including Middlesex Street. You'll find bargains of every kind, including new clothes from well-knows chain stores as well as leather goods, watches and toys.






Ridley Road Market – Mon-Wed, 9am-3pm, Thu 9am-midday, Fri/Sat 9am-5pm
Take the number 30 bus from St Mary’s church & get off at Kingsland High Street stop. Turn right – walk along for a couple of minutes & it’s on your right hand side!

Known to locals as Dalston Market, this is the place to come if you've a penchant for Asian, African, Caribbean and Mediterranean food stuffs. This market is absolutely fantastic for browsing & people watching. It’s a great place to come for cheap fruit 'n' vegetables, exotic spices and Asian specialities.

There is also a super beigel shop half-way down the market. Don’t forget to check out all the shops behind the stalls as well – you’ll be so happy you did!

Roman Rd Market - Tue/Thu/Sat 9am-5.30pm
Take a walk through Viccie Park – and go out of the Parnell Road gate over the canal – along Parnell Road & turn right into the market.

Great to visit, and so easy to get to, Roman Rd is a traditional East End market which hails from the turn-of-the-20th-century. With stalls selling all manner of goods, including fruit 'n' veg, beauty products, shoes, clothes, hardware, records, army surplus and souvenirs, its enhanced all the more by decent food stalls and the East End favourite - pie and mash shops!

While you’re there check out the amazing charity shops as well – you’ll pick up even more bargains!

Spitalfields Market - Mon-Fri 11am-3:30pm, Sun 10am-3pm
Take the number 26 bus from St Mary’s Church – and get off at Liverpool Street Station & follow the signs to Spitalfields Market – it’s only a minute away!

Whilst the future of Spitalfields is set to change dramatically in the next few years - this late 19th century market is a great place to find yummy Italian/French breads, German cheesecakes and organic food, together with gifts clothing, crafts and knick-knacks. The food court, where most world cuisines are represented (including Chinese, West Indian and Hungarian) is among the best you'll find at any London market. If visiting on a Sunday, be sure to visit the Brick Lane market too!

The posh restaurants are starting to push the food stall out – but there are still enough of them to have a decent cheap meal – and make new friends at the communal tables too!

Walthamstow Market - Mon-Sat 8am-6pm
This is a bit trickier to get to if you don’t cycle – but well worth it! Take the tube from Stratford to Walthamstow Central – or the overground from Hackney to St James's Central. If you’re lucky enough to be on your cycle – then go along the canal to the Café @ Springfield Park – and follow the signs to Walthamstow Market.

As Europe's longest street market, Walthamstow boasts over 450 stalls selling everything from clothing, shoes and costume jewellery to traditional fruit 'n' veg, knick-knacks, fabrics and books. Along the way you'll find restaurants, cafes and pubs, while on Sundays there is also a farmers/arts and crafts market.

There are also heaps of charity shops along the market so be sure to check the shops behind the stalls too.

Whitechapel Market - Monday to Saturday from 8.00 until 18.00
Take the number 388 bus from St Mary’s Church & get off at Brick Lane stop. Walk down to the other end of Brick Lane & turn left – ta daaaaa!

Whitechapel is a long established, thriving local street market opposite the famous Royal London Hospital, right by the Whitechapel underground station.
It offers bargains galore for people working in the area and the local Asian community. Come to grab a bargain everyday from Monday to Saturday from over 80 stalls selling everything from fresh fruit to fish, clothing, bedding, carpets, jewellery and electrical goods, all at unbelievable prices.

The nearby East London Mosque ensures a steady stream of visitors and many stalls now sell Indian spices and exotic vegetables as well as great quality silks and saree fabric.

So as you can see - Leabank Square is spoilt for choice when it comes to getting bargains. One of these markets is open every day for you to invite your neighbour - and get some treats in for you & your family.