Queen’s Market tells the history of working people and the multicultural living heritages that exist in East London today.
FoQM undertake tours of the market and the surrounding areas for visiting groups and students – all donations collected go towards the campaign to safeguard the market.
Queen’s Market was first recorded in its current location on Queen’s Road 120 years ago having moved from the high street, Green Street. It is a traditional London street market as it’s still located on a highway. It is a covered market hence also being popular with market traders because it’s not so open to the weather.
Over the years the market has changed a great deal by adapting to the needs of different waves of migrants who now call London their home. Today Queen’s Market is Newham’s most successful publicly-owned street market and serves diverse communities, many of whom who make their own clothes and cook freshly made dishes at home. Queen’s Market provides jobs to heads of families, gives freedom for homemakers to work and has evolved into a social space for local people and for many Londoners.
Who is Queen’s Market named after?
Queen’s Market is named after Queen’s Road, previously known as Queen’s Road Market. It is believed that the name derives from Anne Boleyn (1501/7-1536) the second wife of King Henry the VIII. It’s rumoured that the Boleyn Grounds where the West Ham Football Grounds use to stand (now filled with what looks like dangerously flammable luxury tower blocks) was where a stately home once stood called Green Street House (now demolished). Apparently this is where Henry and Anne may have briefly met during the courting stage of their relationship (oy oy!). For those who know their history, the Tudor period (1485-1603) was full of power struggles with betrayals, treason, adultery and along with it beheadings, and so poor Anne Boleyn had her head chopped off at the Tower of London. It is thought that Anne Boleyn’s ghost still haunts the Tower of London located near the River Thames – see this link: https://www.hrp.org.uk/blog/famous-ghost-stories-of-the-tower-of-london… well worth finding out. We think history might have been a bit harsh on Anne, though her legacy still stands today across England, with various walking tours and books, including a small possible link to this tiny corner of East London.
Source of image: https://ru.pinterest.com/pin/213991419784992204/
Location: Tower of London,
Above: Queen’s Market trader’s licence and rent books from 1947-1973
“Queen’s Market, Upton Park is a thriving and profitable covered street market. Situated in the East End, it has been in existence for over a century and is at the heart of a vibrant community that draws in people from across London and beyond. Famed for its affordable and culturally appropriate produce, it is much more than just a market, it is a living information exchange and a communal space. Queen’s Market is an important centre of employment and brings in millions of pounds into the local economy. It exudes entrepreneurial spirit, tolerance and good humour. Little wonder that Londoners love it.”
– Sasha Laurel, Chair of Friends of Queen’s Market
To promote and preserve a thriving publicly-owned historic street market 