London diary: Leadenhall Market


The main reason I visited Leadenhall Market the first time round was my friend Sam. I won’t disclose too much information about her, but lets just say she’s a fan of a certain wizard.. I've now learned that bits and pieces of J.K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was filmed using Leadenhall Market as a backdrop in 2001. This location was used to represent the area surrounding Diagon Alley and The Leaky Cauldron wizarding pub. It has also been the backdrop to many other movies, like for example «Lara Croft: Tomb Raider» and «The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus», but both Sam and my wife taught me that Harry Potter is all that matters in the world. Ish. But enough about that.

Dating back all the way to the 14th century, Leadenhall Market sure has gone through a couple of make-overs since it's humble beginning in what used to be the centre of Roman Londinium. Today, it's almost impossible to imagine this ornate cluster of vibrant Victorian buildings as a busy, noisy and what I can only imagine was a rather smelly market place. It was originally a meat, poultry and game market, and if you look closely at the shop fronts you can still see some of the wrought iron hooks where produce used to hang. Eerie.

Like many other historical places in London, and the rest of the world, it is now home to a number of boutique retailers, restaurants, cafes and pubs. Although I'm a big fan of all these modern privileges, especially the coffee part, I am also a fan of preserving old building and respecting their history. Luckily, Leadenhall Market is grade II listed, meaning it is important enough to be protected by the government. No major changes to the buildings are allowed and every add-on has to go through the proper channels. I imagine most things that partially or fully survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 is very much protected.

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