Smithfield, Billingsgate and New Spitalfields Market to move out of Central London to Dagenham

[Crispy]

This had been mooted back in August, but the CoL have now bought the old Barking power station site, where they will amalgamate the already-deported Billingsgate and Spitalfields markets with Smithfield, creating a single wholesale market for veg, fish and meat.

Smithfield market has been London's meat market for over 800 years.

Expect restaurants and bars out the wazoo.

 

[spitfire]

So Billingsgate is on the move as well?

Be a shame to lose Smithfields to more "destination" wankery.

 

[editor]

This had been mooted back in August, but the CoL have now bought the old Barking power station site, where they will amalgamate the already-deported Billingsgate and Spitalfields markets with Smithfield, creating a single wholesale market for veg, fish and meat.

Smithfield market has been London's meat market for over 800 years.

Expect restaurants and bars out the wazoo.

I used to work right next to the place and being veggie it was never a great place to tarry but I'm sure the hipster/lifestyle/urban living hell that's going to replace it will be infinitely worse.

 

[Crispy]

So Billingsgate is on the move as well?

Yep, the Poplar site will close, as will New Spitalfields in Leyton.

The Western part of Smithfields is already going being turned into the new Museum of London, so it's possible some other institutional use will be made of the other two buildings.

 

[spitfire]

Yep, the Poplar site will close, as will New Spitalfields in Leyton.

Crikey, that will free up some space for more towers. It's a big place.

It is a bit run down though.

 

[Manter]

Makes sense to wholesale food out of central London I guess. Be a shame in some ways though.

 

[Crispy]

The buildings themselves are listed, at least.

 

[The Fornicator]

It's interesting to think Crossrail is so big - and the platforms so long - it will have entrances/exits either side of the market, well NW and East.

 

[Pickman's model]

I used to work right next to the place and being veggie it was never a great place to tarry but I'm sure the hipster/lifestyle/urban living hell that's going to replace it will be infinitely worse.

on the other hand pubs opened at 5am

 

[Pickman's model]

So Billingsgate is on the move as well?

Be a shame to lose Smithfields to more "destination" wankery.

"destination wankery" is how it will be known

 

[The Fornicator]

This is the eastern side of the Crossrail station - Long Lane heading towards Barbican, not particularly Farringdon at all at this point : http://74f85f59f39b887b696f-ab65625...osed-station-entrance-on-long-lane_240073.jpg

 

[Crispy]

There will be an entrance to the station from the Western end of the platforms at Barbican station, even (which means you could get off a crossrail train at Farringdon, and then catch a circle line train to... Farringdon).

 

[The Fornicator]

It could become quite the thing working out which end of the Elizabeth Line train to get on/off ..

 

[Pickman's model]

It could become quite the thing working out which end of the Elizabeth Line train to get on/off ..

fortunately there will be signs on the platform to assist in your onward journey

 

[Pickman's model]

It could become quite the thing working out which end of the Elizabeth Line train to get on/off ..

further to my previous post if people can manage with stations like seven sisters, aldgate east, oxford circus, victoria and so forth it should present no difficulty to the seasoned traveller.

 

[klang]

fortunately there will be signs on the platform to assist in your onward journey

 

[Pickman's model]

the london sign being particularly apposite

 

[klang]

the london sign being particularly apposite

London / Massachusetts.
Got the cheapest sign writer in again

 

[TruXta]

London / Massachusetts.
Got the cheapest sign writer in again

Not London, Ontario?

 

[The Fornicator]

further to my previous post if people can manage with stations like seven sisters, aldgate east, oxford circus, victoria and so forth it should present no difficulty to the seasoned traveller.

As a seasoned traveller and so forth, you are so clueless.

 

[Pickman's model]

As a seasoned traveller and so forth, you are so clueless.

it's this sort of nonsense without any attempt to explain why you feel this which has led to the unenviable reputation you enjoy today.

 

[Spymaster]

Be a shame to lose Smithfields to more "destination" wankery.

I dunno. It's only moving out of town and I've often thought that a massive wholesale meat market in the middle of The City could be put to better use. Personally I'd rather see a load more bars, pubs, and restaurants there.

 

[TruXta]

I dunno. It's only moving out of town and I've often thought that a massive wholesale meat market in the middle of The City could be put to better use. Personally I'd rather see a load more bars, pubs, and restaurants there.

Fuck that, social housing the lot of it.

 

[spitfire]

I dunno. It's only moving out of town and I've often thought that a massive wholesale meat market in the middle of The City could be put to better use. Personally I'd rather see a load more bars, pubs, and restaurants there.

It'll be horrible, bland and soulless though.

 

[friedaweed]

Lovely buildings. I hope they keep the frontage when it becomes a collection of fuckwittery stores. I used to bike past there every day.

 

[Spymaster]

It'll be horrible, bland and soulless though.

It doesn't need to be but at the moment it's horrible, grim and soulless, and only used by a small section of a single industry that could thrive perfectly well elsewhere. It's not even a public market. Repurposing business buildings/districts has been part of every city's history forever. It's part of their progress and how they flourish.

 

[spitfire]

It doesn't need to be but at the moment it's horrible, grim and soulless, and only used by a small section of a single industry that could thrive perfectly well elsewhere. Repurposing business buildings/districts has been part of every city's history forever. It's part of their progress and how they flourish.

I quite like it the way it is. I know you're right about the repurposing of areas, I've been complicit in "repurposing" several areas. Brixton, Peckham and Bethnal Green for example. But I hold out very little hope in this being interesting or even having interesting hipster stuff. It'll be another coalyard.

Glad to be proved wrong. Having a museum there is a good start to be fair.

 

[Crispy]

The poultry market could be a really good event space. Lovely 50s vaulted ceiling.

 

[The Fornicator]

Trouble is there's well-established templates, particularly a mile away at Spitalfields. Like it or not, posh retail/market produces significant footfall (and employment) over weekends in otherwise deserted financial districts.

 

[polly]

I've heard that there's permafrost underneath it. Apparently it was also found under Billingsgate and the authorities bottled defrosting it in case of disease. Maybe we'll get lucky and a whole load of gentrifiers will get Anthrax