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The Fleet Market was a London market erected in 1736 on the newly culverted
River Fleet The River Fleet is the largest of London's subterranean rivers, all of which today contain foul water for treatment. Its headwaters are two streams on Hampstead Heath, each of which was dammed into a series of ponds—the Hampstead Ponds an ...
. The market was located approximately where the modern
Farringdon Street Farringdon Road is a road in Clerkenwell, London. Route Farringdon Road is part of the A201 route connecting King's Cross to Elephant and Castle. It goes southeast from King's Cross, crossing Rosebery Avenue, then turns south, crossing Cl ...
stands today, to the west of the Smithfield livestock market. Work began in 1734 to arch over the River Fleet, as it had become an open sewer; and to remove the considerable expense of clearing the river of rubbish and filth. The course of the river was covered between Holborn Bridge and Fleet Bridge (now Ludgate Circus). The market, consisting of two rows of open one–storey shops linked by a covered walkway, opened on 30 September 1737. The market replaced the '' Old Stocks Market'' that itself had been cleared for the construction of the Mansion House.''Farringdon Street, Holborn Viaduct and St. Andrew's church''
''Old and New London'': Volume 2 (1878), pp. 496–513. Retrieved 8 May 2009
To the north of the market, vegetables were sold in an open-air market. The centre was marked by a clock tower; and the south was adjacent to the Fleet Prison. By 1829, the market was dilapidated and considered an obstacle to the increasing volume of traffic; and was cleared for the construction of
Farringdon Road Farringdon Road is a road in Clerkenwell, London. Route Farringdon Road is part of the A201 route connecting King's Cross to Elephant and Castle. It goes southeast from King's Cross, crossing Rosebery Avenue, then turns south, crossing ...
. Farringdon Market was constructed to replace it, but was never successful.


References

{{coord, 51, 30, 58, N, 0, 6, 18, W, display=title Former buildings and structures in the City of London Former retail markets in London 1736 establishments in England 1829 disestablishments in England