Billingsgate Fish Market

Billingsgate Fish Market stands on a 13-acre site off Trafalgar Way in Poplar, East London. It sits beside the North Dock of the West India Docks, close to Canary Wharf. The market moved here in 1982 from its former home near Lower Thames Street. Before that, it had occupied Old Billingsgate since the 16th century. In the 19th century it became the world’s largest fish market. The building now in Poplar is a modern complex designed for wholesale trade. The market handles fish arriving by road from ports across Britain. Lorries bring catches from Aberdeen in the north to Cornwall in the south. The City of London Corporation still runs the market under an agreement with Tower Hamlets Council. A private constabulary provides security during the early morning trading hours. The market opens from Tuesday to Saturday, with business starting at four o’clock and finishing by half past eight. Inside, buyers find long aisles of stalls displaying fresh fish on ice. Shellfish are kept in the basement, while dried fish occupy a gallery above. The market’s porters once carried every crate by hand, a tradition dating back to Henry VIII. In 2012 the role of licensed porters ended after a dispute between modernisers and traditionalists. Outside, the dockside setting offers views of passing barges and Canary Wharf’s towers.