World famous market with royal ties to close after 900 years

London’s oldest meat market which has served the community for more than 900 years is set to close. Smithfield has been one of the most famous trading spots in Britain for centuries, given special status by a very famous medieval monarch, but is now set to shut its doors.

The closure comes after the City of London Corporation decided not to go ahead with earlier plans to relocate the famous market to Dagenham Dock in east London. Now Smithfield will shut up shop for good.

It’s believed the name ‘Smithfield’ came from a corruption of ‘smeth field’ Saxon for ‘Smoothfield.’ The city gained market rights when Edward III granted a charter back in 1327. This meant the city could run the market and other wholesale food markets.

From the early 13th century, the site was also used for executions. It was during the reign of King Henry VIII in 1546 that Protestant preacher Anne Askew was burnt at the stake. Her friendship with Henry’s last wife, Katherine Parr, had almost cost the queen her freedom and possibly her head.

Over the years, the market has had several royal visitors. In 1926, the future King Edward VIII spent over an hour inspecting stalls. Then in 1980, the now-King Charles enjoyed the market himself. The then Prince of Wales tested the weight of a barrow laden with meat. The Queen Mother also had her share of visits over the years including visits in 1968 and 1997.

Chris Hayward, the policy chair for the Corporation of London, said the focus would be on supporting the traders and added ‘“We’re committed to making sure they have the financial support and guidance they need to transition seamlessly and successfully to new locations.”

It will still be a few years before the change takes place. Traders will continue operations at Billingsgate and Smithfield until at least 2028. The City has said the Square Mile’s de facto local authority will help relocate vendors to new sites.