Postcard of the month - #23 - April 2002

Watney Street Market

In 1876 Watney Street was joined with Cable Street to form one continuous market from Commercial Road to Cable Street.  The Commercial Road end of Watney Market was totally destroyed during the Blitz in 1941.  Christ Church, Watney Street, was built in 1840 and gutted by fire during the same raid in 1941.  It was demolished in 1960.

The Market in its heyday was open six days a week and had over a 100 stalls lining both sides of the Street.  Many of the shopkeepers also had their own stall outside their shop. Virtually anything could be bought in the Market.  Such was the popularity of the Market that it was written that you could walk on people's heads from Cable Street to Commercial Road.

In 1976 Watney Street Market was closed and redeveloped, not as a street market but as part of the Watney Estate and renamed "Watney Market"