Ideas for a craft market to take 13 year old niece to see in central London

[Wistful977]

I'm looking for ideas for a day trip to london with my 13 year old niece. We are going to see the Alice and wonderland exhibition at the V&A and having afternoon tea later in the afternoon but would like to go to a market where you can find handmade unusual stalls selling things like stationary and jewellery. I remember spitalfields market being like this 20 years ago but think it's changed a lot and is more commercial now. Any ideas would be great. Thank you

Are you planning to stay around Kensington for the dsy. You could go to Portobello Road market depending on which day of the week. How much time do you have.

Spitalfields is still a good shout.

Spitalfields is ok but a lot of it is commercial tat ordered from China.

Broadway Market has a lovely market on a Saturday- mainly food but some handmade and vintage stalls too. Greenwich market is also quite nice but again a mix of tat and handmade.

That sounds like an amazing day out!

When are you going, you can look up craft fairs in London to see if theres anything on that day. Covent Garden is always interesting for teens.

Thanks for your help. We are going on a Saturday in early July. We are coming into london by train from the north east and will only have a couple of hours to do a market so needs to be somewhere quite central. Not sure where Broadway is but will have a Google now! Hadn't thought of portobello as it wasn't great last time I went but that was a while ago. I like Greenwich but it's too far out to make it work unfortunately. Thank you!

Camden www.camdenmarket.com/shops

Greenwich Market is a small craft market. A fair way from the V&A , but the underground and DLR would get you there quickly. It’s also got lots of outside cafes etc and near near the Cutty Sark, so lots to do.

Greenwich? Wrong side of town for V&A though

If niece been to Camden; take her there
Or spitalfields / brick lane

If you're arriving at Kings X you could see Canopy Market just by the new Granary Square decelopment which used to be on Saturdays or Camden or Covent Garden would be easy to get to

Another vote for Covent Garden market. I don't know what it's like at the moment, but in non-covid times there are usually loads of musicians and street entertainers as well.

She is only 13 so probably not quite as aware as you are that some most market stalls buy their stuff in from China. If she's never been to Covent Garden then that's the place to go, every young teen should go their once in their life! So much to see, especially if you don't have long.

Thanks everyone. She's been to Covent Garden a couple of times so was hoping to find something different. I think the canopy market sounds great- we arrive into kings cross station so the location is ideal! It sounds like a lot of food stalls though - does anyone know how many stalls there are roughly? I'm hoping that there will be enough non food ones for her? I do like Greenwich but I think it's too much travelling after a long train journey into london already.

Thank you for the link to Camden, I think I will show her this and see what she thinks.

Camden Lock market