{{Short description|Former London cattle market}} {{hatnote|"London market" redirects here. For the precious metal market, see [[London bullion market]]}} {{More citations needed|date=June 2022}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} [[Image:Metropolitan Cattle Market Islington.png|thumb|250px|Diagram of Metropolitan Cattle Market, Islington]] [[File:Die Gartenlaube (1855) b 089.jpg|thumb|The newly opened market in a contemporary etching]] [[File:Image taken from page 1099 of 'Old and New London, etc' (11189024556).jpg|thumb|Inside the ''Metropolitan Meat Market'']] The '''Metropolitan Cattle Market''' (later '''Caledonian Market'''), just off the [[Caledonian Road, London|Caledonian Road]] in the parish of Islington (now the [[London Borough of Islington]]) was built by the [[City of London Corporation]] and was opened in June 1855 by [[Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha|Prince Albert]]. The market was supplementary to the meat market at [[Smithfield Market|Smithfield]] and was established to remove the difficulty of managing live cattle at that latter site.
==History== {{Infobox UK legislation | short_title = {{visible anchor|Metropolitan Market Act 1851}} | type = Act | parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom | long_title = An Act for providing a Metropolitan Market and Conveniences connected therewith in lieu of the Cattle Market at Smithfield. | year = 1851 | citation = [[14 & 15 Vict.]] c. 61 | introduced_commons = | introduced_lords = | territorial_extent = | royal_assent = 1 August 1851 | commencement = | expiry_date = | repeal_date = | amends = | replaces = | amendments = | repealing_legislation = | related_legislation = | status = | legislation_history = | theyworkforyou = | millbankhansard = | original_text = | revised_text = | use_new_UK-LEG = | UK-LEG_title = | collapsed = yes }}
The market was designed by the corporation's architect, [[James Bunstone Bunning]]. He had previously drawn up plans to rebuild the cattle market at Smithfield, before the Corporation decided to remove the trade in live animals to a site outside [[City of London|the City]] itself.<ref name=gm>{{cite magazine|magazine=The Gentleman's Magazine|year=1863|title=J.B. Bunning, Esq., F.S.A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UusIAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA799|pages=798–802}}</ref>
The market originally covered {{convert|30|acre|km2|2}} of the site and grounds of [[Copenhagen House Grounds|Copenhagen House]], so named as the location of the Ambassador of Denmark's residence in the 17th century. Prior to being redeveloped these grounds housed a pleasure resort and [[tea garden]]. It occupied most of the land between Hungerford Road and Hartham Road (north), [[Caledonian Road (London)|Caledonian Road]] (east), Brandon Road and Blundell Street (south) and York Way (west) and its construction cost the Corporation £300,000. Market Road, North Road, Shearling Way and Brewery Road were internal roads within the market area.
The site was chosen for its proximity to the [[goods yard]]s of the newly opened [[Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)|Great Northern Railway]] and [[North London Railway]] to the north of [[London King's Cross railway station|King's Cross station]]. Livestock could be conveniently transported to the depots before being driven the short distance up [[York Way]] to the market or walked down from [[Holloway cattle dock]] and [[Junction Road railway station]]. On market days in excess of 15,000 animals could be traded.
The central market area was arranged in a rectangle with stalls and pens for [[cattle]], [[sheep]] and [[pig]]s and a {{convert|46|m|ft|0}} tall central clock tower, today the [[Caledonian Park Clock Tower]] as the major remaining element of the market area, otherwise having been turned into the [[Caledonian Park]].
Dealers' offices were arranged in the central area and [[slaughter house]]s were close by. The market was enclosed by cast iron railings, the columns of which were topped with cast iron heads of the animals traded. The railings remain but the heads were removed many years ago.
At each of the corners of the main area, large market [[public house|pub]]s provided accommodation and entertainment for those visiting the market. The pubs were named ''The Lion'', ''The Lamb'', ''The White Horse'' and ''The Black Bull''. Today, three of the four remain and, with the clock tower, are [[listed building|listed structures]]. A fifth pub, ''The Butchers Arms'', built to a similar design, was located at the south-west corner of the market site at the junction of York Way and Brewery Road. The building remains.
In the early 20th century, as the trade in live animals diminished, a [[bric-a-brac]] market developed, which after the [[Second World War]] transferred south of the Thames to become the [[Bermondsey Market|New Caledonian or Bermondsey Market]]. The markets in the area of the old Metropolitan Cattle Market finally closed in 1963.
==Redevelopment== [[Image:Caledonian Park Clock Tower.jpg|thumb|Present day park and [[Caledonian Park Clock Tower|Clock Tower]]]] The northern part of the main market site was redeveloped by the [[Greater London Council]] (GLC) as the ''[[Market Estate]]'' and completed in 1967 to a design by architects Farber & Bartholomew.<ref name=building>{{cite magazine | last = Spring | first = Martin | title = The Writing's on the Wall |magazine=[[Building (magazine)|Building]] | volume = 2007 | issue = 37 | pages =42–47 | publisher = CMP Information Limited | location = London | date =14 September 2007 | url = http://www.building.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=583&storycode=3095065 | accessdate = 2008-01-03 }}</ref> On the western area where sheep were kept, the Corporation built the ''York Way Estate'' to designs by McMorran & Whitby and completed in 1969.<ref name=building/> The southern area of the market, south of Market Road, where the cattle were kept and where the slaughter houses were is now sports pitches. The rest forms [[Caledonian Park]].
At the break-up of the GLC, [[Market Estate]] was transferred to the control of the local authority, the [[London Borough of Islington]]. After years of poor maintenance and declining social conditions, the estate was transferred to a [[registered social landlord]], Southern Housing, in 2005. The estate was regenerated, with the original blocks being demolished and replaced with a new layout of streets.<ref name=building/> The project was completed in 2012 by architects HTA and contractors Higgins Construction.<ref>{{cite web| title=Market Estate| url=https://www.hta.co.uk/project/market-estate |accessdate= 23 January 2022}}</ref>
{{Panorama |image = Image:Clocktower Panorama 20080622 20mb.jpg |fullwidth = 23680 |fullheight = 2144 |caption = Panorama view from Clock Tower |height = 230 }}
==See also== *[[Foreign Cattle Market]] in [[Deptford]], London's other livestock market
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.caledonianpark.org.uk/ Friends of Caledonian Park] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20080420111034/http://www.molg.org.uk/english/pictures Museum of London Picture Library] * [http://www.museumoflondonprints.com/lowres/29/main/6/141262.jpg Caledonian Cattle Market, early 20th century] * [http://www.museumoflondonprints.com/lowres/29/main/4/129233.jpg Carpet stall, 1930]
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{{London markets}}
[[Category:Former buildings and structures in the London Borough of Islington]] [[Category:Wholesale markets in London]] [[Category:Former parks and open spaces of London]]