The beauty of Whitechapel Market [photo essay]
We explored Whitechapel Market on a busy Saturday morning and found bursts of colour and pulsating energy in the heart of Tower Hamlets.
If you ask someone where the centre of Whitechapel is, they will probably say Whitechapel Market. The huge range of characters who visit and things for sale means the market pulses with energy and pops with colour.
We set out to capture the essence of the Market on a Saturday morning when the Market throngs with people shopping, eating, or just passing through.
If you want to understand Whitechapel, you need to explore the mile-long market, from Cambridge Heath Road to Vallance Road. You will find all sorts, from fresh fruit and veg and fish to jewellery and fabrics.
The Market has a long history. It was formally established over 200 years ago. Its history makes it an integral and authentic part of the area. So much so that it has been designated as an official Conservation Area.
In January, the government’s Department of Levelling Up awarded Tower Hamlet’s Council £9 million to regenerate the market. The Council will use the money to ‘improve the look and feel of the market’ and to make it more accessible to pedestrians.
![A stall in Whitechapel Market with Tower Hamlets Town Hall and the Royal London Hospital behind.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/town-hall-royal-london-hospital-whitechapel-market-photoessay-10-1024x683.jpg)
![A fruit and veg stall in Whitechapel Market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/fruit-whitechapel-market-photoessay-13-1024x683.jpg)
![A stall selling earrings with a bus passing by in Whitechapel Market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/earrings-whitechapel-market-photoessay-5-1024x683.jpg)
![A vendor adjust fabrics at a stall in Whitechapel Market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/clothes-whitechapel-market-photoessay-1-1024x683.jpg)
![A phone booth and a shopping trolley in Whitechapel Market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/phone-box-whitechapel-market-photoessay-11-1024x683.jpg)
![Vegetables for sale in Whitechapel Market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/vegetables-whitechapel-market-photoessay-3-1024x683.jpg)
![A street sign leans against the back of a stall in Whitechapel market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/sign-whitechapel-market-photoessay-12-1024x683.jpg)
![A woman browses at a fruit and veg stall in Whitechapel Market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/market-stall-whitechapel-market-photoessay-4-1024x683.jpg)
![A fish stall in Whitechapel Market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/fish-stall-whitechapel-market-photoessay-7-1024x683.jpg)
![Tools at a fish stall in Whitechapel Market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/tools-stall-whitechapel-market-photoessay-16-1024x683.jpg)
![A woman buying fruit from a stall in Whitechapel market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/shopping-whitechapel-market-photoessay-8-1024x683.jpg)
![The back of a clothes stall in Whitechapel Market.](https://whitechapellondon.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2023/10/clothes-stall-whitechapel-market-photoessay-15-1024x683.jpg)
If you enjoyed this photo essay, you might enjoy our article exploring the history of the Roman Road Market.