Apple Market

Apple Market trades inside the Market Building at the centre of the Covent Garden Piazza, on the site that was once home to the world-famous fruit and vegetable market. It continues that tradition by supporting independent market traders, and it is known for handmade goods sold by the people who make them rather than mass-produced souvenirs.

The market is part of the Covent Garden estate and its week follows a clear pattern. From Tuesday to Sunday the stalls carry handmade jewellery, prints, watercolours, unique soaps and all sorts of unusual items, most of it made by the traders themselves. Every Monday the hall changes character completely and turns over to one-off antiques and collectables, drawing browsers looking for older and unusual pieces. That weekly switch gives the market two distinct personalities depending on the day you visit.

Handmade craft market in Covent Garden

Trading takes place beneath the covered hall of the nineteenth-century Market Building, so it carries on whatever the weather outside. The building itself was commissioned by the Duke of Bedford in 1828 and reopened in 1980 as a speciality shopping centre after a five-year renovation, and the stalls sit among the fragrance houses, fashion boutiques and cafes that now fill the arcades. Street performers work the piazza just outside, so a browse through the stalls fits naturally into a wider wander around the area.

What to expect on a visit

Google lists the market as open from 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 5pm on Sunday, although individual traders set up at their own pace. It is a good first stop for handmade jewellery and prints, or for antiques and collectables on a Monday. The East Colonnade Market runs daily along the east side of the same building, and the rest of the area's stalls are covered in our guide to markets in Covent Garden.