Exmouth Market
Encyclopedia
Clerkenwell
Clerkenwell is an area of central London in the London Borough of Islington. From 1900 to 1965 it was part of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury. The well after which it was named was rediscovered in 1924. The watchmaking and watch repairing trades were once of great importance...
in the London Borough of Islington
London Borough of Islington
The London Borough of Islington is a London borough in Inner London. It was formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury. The borough contains two Westminster parliamentary constituencies, Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury...
.
History
Exmouth Market draws its name from the Exmouth Arms Pub that is centrally situated in the street. The area has been a market place since the 1890s and a number of the streets buildings date from the 19th century.Also centrally located in the middle of the street across from the Exmouth Arms is the church of Our Most Holy Redeemer of Clerkenwell, built in 1887 on the site of the Spa Fields Chapel. The church is London's only Italian basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
style church.
The bottom right hand corner of the street was the site for the 'London Spa' which dates back to 1730, which is one of Clerkenwell's most famous resorts. It was rebuilt several times and called the London Spa until 2002.
1990s: Rehabilitation
The street and surrounding area had previously held a reputation as a run down and seedy part of Central London. Since the mid-to-late nineties the street has undergone a steady regeneration, and Exmouth Market is now home to a large number of restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as independent book, record and gift shops, and Eland Publishing Eland BooksEland Books
Eland Books is a publishing house, established in 1982, by John Hatt, a former travel editor at Harpers & Queen, that aims to revive the great travel books that have fallen out of print over time. Although the list has diversified out into biography and fiction, the overwhelming majority of the...
, the travel literature imprint.
A distinguishing feature of the area is that nearly every restaurant, cafe and bar in the street offer outside seating and cover, which is uncommon for suburban London outside of High Street areas – this creates a sidewalk cafe
Sidewalk cafe
A sidewalk cafe is an outdoor part of a coffeehouse or cafe. This is an area where customers go to relax, dine, and socialize...
ambiance.
Street market
In autumn 2006 the Exmouth Market Trader's association decided to reinstate Exmouth Market's street marketStreet market
A street market is an outdoor market such as traditionally held in a market square or in a market town, and often held only on particular days of the week...
. It costs £35 a week to occupy land the size of a regular stall. Stallholders include local and well-known food companies and producers, as well as jewellery and gifts from East London designers.
The market was originally held every Friday (between 11-6) and Saturday (between 9-4) (as indicated on a banner), but hours have changed, and it now runs during weekdays only (including Thursday and Friday): food stalls run primarily 11-2.
Film
The street was used for location shooting for Madonna'sMadonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom
Filth and Wisdom
Filth and Wisdom is the first film directed by Madonna, starring Eugene Hütz, Holly Weston, Vicky McClure and Richard E. Grant. It was filmed on location in London, England from May 14 to May 29, 2007 with additional scenes shot in July 2007....
.