People come from all around the world to experience the quirky culture that has sprung up around the Columbia Road Flower Market market. The Victorian shop houses lining the street now house numerous and eclectic boutiques and cafes. Although the market is not very close to the Underground, many bus routes service the area regularly. Along with a remarkable selection of flowers and plants, the market is also home to shops selling a unique selection of breads, cheeses, garden accessories, strange international edibles, soap, artifacts and antiques. Its English charm coupled with a dizzying amount of choice and color help to make this skinny lane one of England’s finest.

The Columbia Road Flower market is an outdoor street market in East London, located along a row of Victorian shops that were built for the Jesus Hospital Estate in the 1860s. Angela Burdett-Coutts founded Columbia Market in 1869 as a covered food market with 400 stalls. The market was closed in 1886 and used as a warehouse and workshop space. The Flower Market began as a Saturday trading market, though it was moved to Sunday due to the growing number of Jewish traders. During World War II, rules prioritizing food production had a negative effect on the market, and in the ensuing two decades it underwent massive decline. The building was demolished in 1958, but during the 1960s it saw a revival as new regulations forced merchants to attend regularly. A favorite of gardeners and plant lovers, the market is also popular amongst filmmakers and photographers trying to get the perfect shot.

Image credits, from left: Chmee2 via Wikimedia Commons, David Rosen via Flickr, Tony Roberts via Flickr

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