London Markets Petticoat Lane MarketPetticoat Lane Market
Petticoat Lane Market is a fashion and clothing market located on Wentworth Street and Middlesex Street in East London. It is one of a number of traditional markets, lying to the east of the City of London. A few hundred yards to the north is Old Spitalfields market, and across Commercial Street, to the east, lies Brick Lane Market. A half mile further east is the Columbia Road Flower market. 
Petticoat Lane Market was not formally recognised until an Act of Parliament in 1936, but its long history as an informal market makes it possibly one of the oldest surviving markets in Britain. The market is open Monday to Friday on Wentworth Street alone, but on Sunday extends over many of the surrounding streets, with over a thousand stalls. The markets are well signed from local stations.
Petticoat Lane derives its name from its long history as a centre of the clothing trade. During the reign of Queen Victoria the name of the street was changed to the more respectable Middlesex Street. Although this remains its official designation, the old name has stuck and the Sunday market held here and in the surrounding streets is still referred to as Petticoat Lane Market.
A huge variety of goods are on sale, but a bias towards clothing is still in evidence. At the top of the market, near Aldgate East, is an area devoted to leather jackets.
As prices are often absent, haggling is a welcome method of fixing a price. The market attracts thousands of locals and visitors every Sunday and has numerous fast-food outlets - many still selling traditional Jewish food.
Open: Mon-Fri: 10:00-14:30; Sun: 09:00-14:00
Petticoat Lane Market, Middlesex Street, Poplar, London E1 6BD
Call: 020 7377 8963
Nearest Tube: Liverpool Street, Aldgate, Aldgate East
