Borough Market in Southwark -- A Foodie's Paradise!

On the south bank of London, just across the London Bridge, is a borough called Southwark.  There is a market there called Borough Market that tucked away along the bank and is any food-lover's paradise.  Borough Market is one of the oldest and largest markets in London and sells food from all around the world.  It is truly one of the finest food markets I have seen anywhere.  Such abundance and variety, colors and smells, tastes and temptations....plus interesting and passionate people. As a bonus there are so many fascinating things to see in Southwark and the Borough Market.  It is well worth a visit next time you are in London.  

Many of the stall offer samples to taste and tempt.  Borough Market is especially known for it's cheese stalls. 

 Of course there is every kind of fresh bread to go along with the cheese.

 We discovered the market in October, at the peak of the fall harvest so most of the produce was from the U.K. 

 Fresh fish and seafood of every variety

Such a cornucopia of smells, tastes, and colors

On the edges of the market are stalls that sell cooked food from every corner of the work.  These were four huge pots of Thai curries that smelled so, so delicious. 

  I look forward to going back and  see what they have in the winter.  My guess is there will be lovely fresh foods from Spain, Greece, and warmer countries.

Animal, plant or mineral? It was sometimes hard to tell.

Amazing mushrooms

Three different colors of cauliflower

It wasn't very crowded for a Saturday morning

I saw fruits here that I had never even heard of.  John and I spent over an hour at the market, just gazing at the beautiful food and tasting every sample we could. Borough's Market is truly food paradise!

Right next to the market is Southwark Cathedral, a beautiful small cathedral, not as well known or as grand as Westminster abbey or St. Paul's but every bit loaded with history. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 and there is evidence that the church goes back as far as 700A.D.

 

The Cathedral is not far from the Globe Theatre and has monuments to some of it's famous parishioners such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, Bishop Lancelot Andrews, one of the translator of the King James Bible, John Gower, Poet Laureate to Richard III and Henry IV. It also has a chapel named in honor of John Harvard, the founder of Harvard University, who was christened at Southwark Church in 1607 (it didn't become a Cathedral until 1905).

Around the corner from the market and the cathedral is the Golden Hindle -- a full sized reconstruction of the ship Sir Francis Drake used to circumnavigate the globe between 1577-80. It's so tiny.  It makes you wonder how a ship this small survived rough seas.  

There is a wonderful walk along the south bank from the Borough Market to the Tate Modern that takes your past all sorts of interesting landmarks such as the Clink -- a notorious prison that dates from the 12th century until 1780. The Clink was possibly the oldest men's prison and probably the oldest women's prison in England. The origins of the name "The Clink" are uncertain, but it is possibly onomatopoeic and comes from the sound of striking metal as the prison's doors were bolted, or the rattling of the chains the prisoners wore.

The borough of Southward is one of the oldest neighborhoods of London and is full of fascinating history and interesting places.  It has seen a renaissance of late ever since the Millennial Bridge was opened and connected this overlooked part of London with the City of London.

Today this area is attracting even more attention with the opening of London's newest skyscraper, The Shard.  I have fallen in love with London's South bank, Southwark and the Borough Market and  look forward returning to explore more of it's treasures.

I'd love to learn more about other markets in London.  Let me know if you have any favorites.