The many histories of Smithfield
Once a ‘smooth field’ outside the city’s medieval walls, Smithfield became one of London’s busy hubs, famous for its meat market, wild annual fair and public executions. Trade, revelry, plague, protest, religion, innovation and death – learn more about how Smithfield’s tangled histories capture the story of London itself.
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Lifestyle & LeisureThe wild 700-year-long history of Bartholomew Fair
How a yearly cloth fair transformed into a contentious riot of revelry
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Death & DisastersMary I & the Smithfield martyrs
This Tudor queen burned Protestants at the stake for their religious beliefs
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Health & DiseaseThe 900-year history of St Bartholomew’s Hospital
Caring for London on the same Smithfield spot since 1123
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Health & DiseaseThe Great Pestilence in London
Plague killed over half of the city’s population between 1348 and 1352
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Music & Subculturefabric: A nightclub for a new millennium
How a Victorian meat warehouse in Smithfield became one of London’s leading venues
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Rights & ActivismHow the Peasants’ Revolt rocked medieval London
In the summer of 1381, a popular rebellion led by Wat Tyler threatened to topple the ruling elite
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Religion & BeliefsA history of the London Charterhouse
How a plague burial ground evolved into a monastery, mansion, school and almshouse
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Building a museumSmithfield Market: The iron legacy of Sir Horace Jones
The innovative use of ironwork is testament to the market's unique place in the history of civil engineering
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From our expertsThe religious history of Smithfield
Smithfield boasts of a rich monastic history dating back over a millennium
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From our expertsThe Smithfield Poultry Market Fire of 1958
Curator Kate Sumnall dives into one of the most dramatic episodes in the rich history of Smithfield Market
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Photography
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Paintings, Prints & Drawings
Paintings, Prints & DrawingsOpening of the new Metropolitan Meat Market, Smithfield: The Banquet (wood engraving)
1868
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Photography
PhotographyCity bomb damage, Smithfield Market (silver gelatin print)
Cross, Arthur, Tibbs, Fred
1940
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Paintings, Prints & Drawings
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Building a museum5 things about Smithfield Market you might not know
What connects London’s iconic Smithfield Market to the Sydney Opera House?
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GamesQuiz: How well do you know Smithfield?
Iconic architects, lost rivers and trade fairs, do you know how Smithfield has shaped London history?
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Building a museumStep inside the future London Museum
London Museum is on the move to a new site in Smithfield. Here’s a tour of what to expect
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TransportHolborn Viaduct: The City’s bright red bridge
This ornate Victorian viaduct connects Holborn with the City of London
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Building a museumSay hello to London’s 33 new borough pigeons
Our new Smithfield home welcomes 33 giant pigeons designed by local artists
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Art & DesignLost London buildings by Thomas Hosmer Shepherd
London’s buildings were this artist’s speciality in the 1800s, letting us see landmarks lost to time
