food-forwardheritage

Bermondsey: Maltby Street and the leather district

Saturday morning market in the railway arches, then south through the old tanners' streets.

Distance

3 km

Time

~ 60 min

Start

London Bridge

End

Bermondsey

Best at

morning

Right now

28°C· Clear

12 nearby transit lines disrupted — Waterloo & City, District.

Open in Maps for turn-by-turn, or take it offline as GPX.

Bermondsey has three things: Borough Market for the tourists, Maltby Street Market for everyone else, and Bermondsey Street for the people who live there. This walk tries to take all three in a logical order.

Maltby Street on a Saturday morning is the market that Borough used to be before it became famous: tight, specific, producer-led, with great coffee from arches and bread from the same arches. The Friday antiques market at Bermondsey Square is the other draw — if you arrive after 9am you've missed the professionals; if you arrive before 7am you might find something.

The route

On the map.

A soft dashed line, numbered stops. It’s a suggestion, not a turn-by-turn.

Elevation

↑ 19 m·↓ 23 m·6–20 m ASL

Stops along the way

Things to notice.

01
1
Borough Market
The covered market at its best on Thursday and Friday mornings. The traders in the Borough Market extension on Rochester Walk are different from the main market, and often better.
01
Borough Market
The covered market at its best on Thursday and Friday mornings. The traders in the Borough Market extension on Rochester Walk are different from the main market, and often better.
02
2
Bermondsey Street
Walk south from the market down Bermondsey Street. White Cube at the north end; the Woolpack pub midway; independent restaurants the full length.
02
Bermondsey Street
Walk south from the market down Bermondsey Street. White Cube at the north end; the Woolpack pub midway; independent restaurants the full length.
03
3
Maltby Street Market
Saturday and Sunday mornings under the Spa Terminus railway arches. Smaller than Borough Market, better sourced, and without the tourist traffic. Come before 10am.
03
Maltby Street Market
Saturday and Sunday mornings under the Spa Terminus railway arches. Smaller than Borough Market, better sourced, and without the tourist traffic. Come before 10am.
04
4
Leathermarket Gardens
The old leather tanning quarter of Bermondsey. The Leathermarket building itself (1879) is now offices; the gardens beside it are a good place to stop.
04
Leathermarket Gardens
The old leather tanning quarter of Bermondsey. The Leathermarket building itself (1879) is now offices; the gardens beside it are a good place to stop.
05
5
Bermondsey Square
Friday antiques market from 6am; flea market the rest of the week. The square has been rebuilt around the market that has been on this site since the 18th century.
05
Bermondsey Square
Friday antiques market from 6am; flea market the rest of the week. The square has been rebuilt around the market that has been on this site since the 18th century.

Happening today

Near this walk.

Events within a short detour of the route. No affiliation, no algorithm — just things the editor thought worth flagging.

artFri 24 Apr · 17:00

Late at Tate: Spring Reawakening

Tate Modern

First-Friday lates are the right time to see Tate Modern — the halls empty out and the upper levels feel almost private.

Bermondsey: Maltby Street and the leather district

On the map.

Things to notice.

Borough Market

Borough Market

Bermondsey Street

Bermondsey Street

Maltby Street Market

Maltby Street Market

Leathermarket Gardens

Leathermarket Gardens

Bermondsey Square

Bermondsey Square

Near this walk.

Late at Tate: Spring Reawakening

Two more, on similar days.

Spitalfields: the market, the streets, the silk

Borough Market via Bermondsey Street