• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • First Time Here?
    • Archive
    • London Blogs
  • Blog
  • Travel
    • London Theater Tickets
    • Shopping
    • Tips
    • Tours
    • Transport
    • Maps
    • Parks
    • Resources
    • Restaurants
    • Top 10 London
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Buildings
    • Food
    • London Books
    • Movies
    • Museums
    • Music
    • Pubs
  • Londonism
    • Reviews
    • Fun London
    • Iconic London
    • Life in London
    • London Realities
    • Moving to London
    • Politics
  • The Tube
  • London History
    • Great London Buildings
    • Great Londoners
  • Contact
  • Guidebooks
    • 101 London Travel Tips – Guidebook
    • 101 Free Things to do in London

Londontopia

The Website for People Who Love London

You are here: Home / News Features / How to Find London’s Best Artisan Treasures

How to Find London’s Best Artisan Treasures

Sep 27, 2019 By Jonathan

If your ideal Saturday involves wandering around artisan markets to find beautiful handcrafted or vintage items, then there are few better places to visit than London. Unlike the mass-produced, mass-marketed products that constantly pop up on your social media, finding quality artisan pieces is much more difficult. However, we’ve done our research to help you find the best places in London to find your artisan treasures.

Wood Street Indoor Market

Hop off the tube at Wood Street and head along to Wood Street Indoor Market where you will discover an array of exciting shops selling everything from vintage clothing to bespoke jewellery. The stalls at Wood Street will be particularly interesting for those with an interest in the history of memorabilia and antiques, with Jimmy Mack Vintage and Vinyl Vanguard proving popular spots to dive into and surface with some interesting treasures. You might also want to take a look around Martins Toys and Memorabilia to browse his collection of classic and collectable toys.

A recent trend in antiques and collectables is the acquisition of vintage and retro gaming memorabilia, with the must-have finds now being, for example, antique backgammon sets, vintage chess sets or perhaps beautiful vintage packs of cards for playing traditional card games such as blackjack. Although nowadays, classic games like this are more often than not played online after migrating to online gaming and casino sites, with companies offering blackjack and a collection of classic card games in their catalogue. Before that, however, the game was played by the Spanish and French, who played with ornate, embellished decks. Who knows? You might land a find similar to this, hidden somewhere in the shelves at Wood Street.

Borough Market

Happy Saturday everyone! We’re open and ready to welcome you early birds. Come and take shelter from the sun under our arches and discover a world of sounds, colours and tastes as you do ☀️#weekend pic.twitter.com/UtJwe3OHqZ

— Borough Market (@boroughmarket) September 21, 2019

Foodies, music lovers and fashionistas flock to the thriving Borough Market, just next to London Bridge. It is fair to say that it is an Artisan’s paradise, where you are likely to find antiques, vintage clothing and handcrafted items that you won’t find anywhere else.

This market has been around since the 12th century, so you never know what treasures you might stumble across here. Chocoholics, make sure that you swing by Artisan du Chocolat for exquisite confectionary. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you might also want to make a trip out of it to go visit some of London’s best sweet shops.

Old Spitalfields Market

Weekends in the Market… East London’s ultimate shopping & street food destination. We have #thelondonershome here alongside our regulars, with a great line-up of designers and makers including @siambotanicals @oneandother_io #weekendmarket #oldspitalfieldsmarket pic.twitter.com/cofUx82UF8

— Old Spitalfields (@oldspitalfields) September 7, 2019

If funky Brit clothes are your thing, then you will love Collectif at Old Spitalfields Market. They design and produce 1940s and 1950s clothing and combine the latest fashion trends with classic vintage styles. You’ll find Old Spitalfields in the heart of the East End of London. The Antiques Market is also popular on Thursdays, with the artisan food products especially being a real crowd-pleaser.

You can try delicious foods from around the world such as JiaBa, a traditional Taiwanese street food joint, Chirashi Japanese sushi bowls or, if you like your seafood, you must eat at Wright Brothers for the ultimate seafood dining experience.

Portobello Road Market

A walk along Portobello Road is one of the best ways to spend a Sunday, especially if you’re looking for free things to do in London. Saturdays are particularly busy, with droves of people heading to the world’s largest Antiques Arcades and vintage clothing stalls. For unique luxury interiors, Virtue and Calibre has some fascinating pieces such as silverware embellished with stunning detail.

Film fanatics can take a seat at the nearby Electric Cinema in Notting Hill, which is one of the oldest working cinemas in Britain and shows most of the latest releases. For travelling to Portobello Road by tube, your closest stations are Ladbroke Grove or Westbourne Park.

Camden Market

Freshly made, homemade and flavour-punching curries are the name of the game at @SonitasKitchen.

Expect no junk, vegan and gluten-free North Indian dishes and guaranteed goodness ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/72Na3dz0he

— Camden Market (@CamdenMarket) September 25, 2019

With over 1000 shops and stalls brimming with everything from unique jewellery items to chic fashion accessories, you could spend hours walking around here and still not be ready to leave. We’re a big fan of Red Art Camden where you can have a unique gift crafted to impress even the person that has almost everything.

Camden Town Brewery is also a firm favourite with the craft beer devotees, so if you fancy sampling one of the best small craft breweries in London, you won’t be disappointed. You will soon see why it is a popular choice for ale as well as street food.

Whether you are on the hunt for antiques, vintage clothes, unique artwork or bespoke jewellery, these markets are guaranteed to give you hours of fun as you explore their hidden gems. When your searching and shopping is over, there are also plenty of places to eat, drink and be merry too, so why not pencil in a visit to one or more of these markets for your next free weekend?

 

Share this:

  • Print
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Pocket

Filed Under: News Features

About jonathan

Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile who launched Anglotopia.net in 2007 to channel his passion for Britain. Londontopia is its sister publication dedicated to everything London.

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Our Free London Updates

Free London News

Get the latest news on London history, culture, travel, exhibitions, and more right in your inbox!

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

Get the Anglotopia/Londontopia App

Our Advertisers

If you are a mobile gamer, you may want to take a look at UK’s new mobile casinos and slots reviewed by NewCasinoUK.

Join the London Forum

  • Mudlarking
  • MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN LONDON
  • What's Your Favorite Place in London?
  • Paddington Station

London Guide

  • Ten Cheap Things You Can Do in London on a Budget
  • Ten London Exhibitions to Look Forward to in 2023
  • London’s Non-Free Museums: Your Guide to London’s Museums That Charge Admission
  • Trip Planning: Top 10 Exhibitions To Plan Your 2018 Trips to London Around
  • London Guide: Our Favorite Restaurants in London – London Restaurant Recommendations for Americans – What’s Your Favorite?

Connect With Us

  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Support Londontopia

Search our Extensive Archive

Top 10 London

  • Ten Unusual Exhibits to See in London
  • London Pubs: Ten Thameside Pubs for a Pint and a View
  • Top 10 London: Ten More Things to Do Along the River Thames
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Shopping Centers in London
  • Museums of London: Ten Overlooked London Museums
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haggerston
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Haringey
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Redbridge
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to See and Do in Hillingdon
  • Top 10 London: Top Ten Things to Do in Canonbury

Recent Posts

  • Poet Lemn Sissay ‘over the moon’ to receive Freedom of the City of London
  • English Heritage has unveiled six new blue plaques for London
  • National Portrait Gallery to reopen in June with two special exhibitions
  • Exploring The Cosmic House in London
  • Ten Social Media Accounts to Follow for Londonphiles
  • New Royal Academy Exhibition: Treasures from Spain and the Hispanic World
  • Pollock’s Toy Museum in London Has Closed Unexpectedly
  • The Fiver:  Five Live-Action Children’s Shows Set in London
  • In Pictures: Winter Lights festival returns to London for first time since 2020
  • Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

Best Posts on Londontopia

  • 101 London Travel Tips
  • Top 100 London Attractions
  • How to Find the Cheapest Airfares to London
  • 10 Things NOT to do in London
  • Best London Guidebooks
  • 101 Free Things to do in London
  • London Lingo – A London Word Dictionary
  • Top 7 Tips for Doing London on the Cheap
  • Top 11 Myths American Believe about London
  • Guide to Eating in London
  • Best Times of Year to Travel to London
  • London Packing Tips
  • Top 11 Movies Set in London
  • Top Attractions off the Tourist Track
  • Top 5 Most Amazing London Hotels
  • Top 10 Hostels in London
  • Best Views in London Restuarants
  • London Taxi Ettiquette
  • Top 12 London Views
  • Great Fire of London
  • A Guide to Five of London’s Bridges
  • 10 Random Facts and Figures about Trafalgar Square
  • Top 100 British Slang Words

London Places to Explore

Bloomsbury Buckingham Palace Canary Wharf City of London Covent Garden Cutty Sark Greenwich Hampstead Hampton Court Palace Heathrow Houses of Parliament Hyde Park Imperial War Museum Islington Kensington Kensington Palace Leicester Square London London Eye London Transport Museum Museum of London National Gallery Notting Hill Piccadilly Circus Putney Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Regent's Street Royal Academy Selfridges Somerset House Southbank Southwark St Pancras St Paul's Cathedral Tate Britain Tate Modern The City Tower Bridge Tower of London Trafalgar Square V&A Wandsworth West End Westminster Westminster Abbey

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Recent Videos

Walk Around London Virtually Right Now – Watched Walker is the YouTube Channel We All Need Right Now

Jason Hawkes Shares a Beautiful Video of London From Above That We All Need Right now

London Tube: You’ve Got to Watch This Amazing Mesmerizing Animation That Shows the Real Geography of the London Underground

Video: The Basics of Crossrail – London’s New Underground Line

London History: The Place Where Old London Double Decker Buses Went to Die

London Video: A Look at the Great Smog of London

Tube and London bus fares to rise by nearly 6% from March

What is Crossrail 2 and What is Its Current Status?

London Alert: Strike by London Underground workers to go ahead after last-minute talks fail

London Mayor hails Elizabeth line as direct routes and Sunday services begin

Elizabeth line fully opens and offers more direct journeys

Tube poet encourages writers to ‘bring who they are to the field’

Footer

About Londontopia

Londontopia is simply the website for people who love London. It was founded by Jonathan & Jackie Thomas from Anglotopia.net as a place to post articles solely focused on London and its environs. Keep up with all the latest London news at Londontopia! This site is geared towards people who love to visit London and our primary audience is North American but everyone is welcome!

When We’re in London Next

We don’t currently have any travel plans to London but hope to visit at some point in 2021.

  • SEO Backlinks
  • Travel Blog

SIGN-UP FOR FREE LONDON WEEKLY UPDATES!

Please enter a valid email address
That address is already in use
The security code entered was incorrect
Thanks for signing up

Copyright © 2023 Anglotopia, LLC · Website Developed by Anglotopia, LLC · Log in