London’s Borough Market was established at its current site in 1756.
The market stands on the south side of the River Thames in Southwark, near London Bridge. Although the present site dates from 1756, market trading in the surrounding area has medieval roots and is recorded in earlier forms.
Borough Market has long connected local producers, wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, and shoppers. Its role has changed over time, particularly as London’s transport network and food-supply system developed, but it remains an important food market.
A common mix-up is treating 1756 as the beginning of all market activity in the area. The date specifically refers to the establishment of Borough Market at its current site, not the earliest trading in Southwark. The market is also distinct from nearby retail streets and the former wholesale markets that operated elsewhere in London.