David J.
Yelp
Leadenhall Market adds a much needed dash of colour to this part of the City of London, surrounded as it is by handsome but sober office blocks, and on one side dwarfed by the shiny exterior of the Lloyd's building.
It isn't really any longer market at all, but a Victorian shopping arcade, but it's well preserved and still fulfils its original purpose - shopping. The range of shops includes everything from clothing stores to flower shops, and also includes bars and cafes. You'll find High Street names such as Reiss, Timpson, Oddbins, Jigsaw, Hobbs, Orange phones and Threshers, alongside individual shops, the most notable of which is the cheese shop, Cheese @ Leadenhall. There are also a dozen places to eat here.
The site is also interesting: originally the location of the Roman Forum (the largest square north of the Alps), it became the area for poulterers and cheesemakers in the the 14th century, and was acquired by the famous mayor, Richard (Dick) Whittington, in 1411. In the succeeding years, corn, wool, leather and cutlery were also sold from here. Burned down in the Great Fire of 1666, it was replaced by a covered market built in stone, but this too was replaced in 1881 by the present wrought iron structure, with extensive glazed roofs.
In the late 18th century, a gander that had escaped from the poulterer's grasp became a sort of mascot for the market, and was nicknamed 'Old Tom'. He was fed at the local inns, and lived to the ripe old age of 38. When he died, he lay in state and was buried there.
The architecture is full of Victorian detail, some taken from the heraldic devices of the City of London (such as the Griffins and dragons) and others purely decorative (such as recurring flower and leaf motifs). But, above all, it is the colourful decorative scheme of bright red and cream that gives it its character today.
It has featured in Harry Potter as 'Diagon Alley', suitably done up with additional scenery.
