London – Shepherd’s Bush Market

London is well served by a number of unique markets throughout the city. The best known are Portobello Road market and Camden market. Step a little away from the well touristed areas of London, however, and you will find a huge number of other markets operating throughout the city. The nearest market to me is the Shepherd’s Bush market.



This market exists due to a bit of freak civil engineering. Cutting through the suburb of Shepherd’s Bush is the Hammersmith and City tube line. Either side of the train line is pretty much uninhabitable. Sitting in the gap between Goldhawk Road and Shepherd’s Bush stations is this market. It sits against the train viaduct. It’s a great use of the space and turns what would be another dead part of town into a vibrant community centre.

The market covers a very diverse mix of goods. At the start, there’s the usual fruit and veg stalls. Usually fresh and usually pretty good value. There’s also a few fish mongers, Halal butchers and other produce suppliers.



There’s also some pretty funky clothing shops. These cater to the local muslim population. There are shops selling the latest fashions in women’s head coverings, as well as variously brightly coloured sari shops. This is a taste of the middle east in the middle of London.

I can’t say that I’d make a trip out of my way to go this market, but it’s an interesting diversion on the way through this part of town. There’s a similar market in Church Street Paddington. They’re local affairs, which is a great way to see how people in London live, removed from the tourist hype that surrounds some of the better known markets.