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19 Photos That Will Make You Want to Visit London's Columbia Road on a Sunday

Chiara Dalla Rosa /
Chiara Dalla Rosa / | © Culture Trip

During the week Columbia Road is like any other street in London. Sunday, however, sees it transformed into a fragrant floral forest offering an incredible array of foliage for all occasions. Whether it’s for celebrating, commiserating or a spontaneous gift for a loved one, the Columbia Road Flower Market has got the goods.

Greenery galore fills Columbia Road every Sunday as the flower market rolls into town.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Some of the market traders are just as colourful as their flowers.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

All kinds of decorative garden features can be found here, ready to plant.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Give back to the circle of life and invest in your own seedy beginnings.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Mix and match flowers to create a unique bouquet for a special someone.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Or pick up a pre-selected bunch if you’re in a rush.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Lots of smaller flowers are on offer too for anyone not looking to break the bank.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

‘Barrow boy’ market traders are on hand to answer any questions and grace the bouquet bazaar with an air of East End authenticity.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Although the market has been around for a while, it’s by no means old fashioned. Lots of stalls accept credit and debit cards.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Ivy is fairly popular – enchanted chic is all the rage these days.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

There are lots of fleshy gourds up for grabs, too, for anyone who gets peckish.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

In the early days of the market, the main customers were locals looking to decorate the small gardens connected to their homes. Nowadays, people flock from all over London to pick up different kinds of flowers at various stages of the horticultural lifecycle.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Originally, the Sunday flower market was a development initiated by the local Jewish community to supplement the larger Saturday market.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

However, it was not long before Sunday became the main attraction – the Saturday market is now a thing of the past.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

The market is a complete sensory experience. The eyes are treated to the aesthetic beauty of the flowers as the nose absorbs their fragrant scents. Meanwhile, buskers delight the ears of the passing public with their musical mastery.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

The flower market crowd is full of millennials. It looks like flowers are just as popular as they were when our Victorian ancestors were strolling the very same streets.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Obviously the flower market is the big draw, but there are plenty of other things that people can check out on adjoining Ezra Street.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Amongst the array of precious peculiarities found alongside the flowers are some splendid sculptural works, like these from Stoned & Plastered on Ezra Street.

Chiara Dalla Rosa /
Chiara Dalla Rosa /

Enjoyed this? Check out our photo guide along Regent’s Canal or discover how to spend a day out in Victoria Park.

About the author

Born to an Irish family, Ruaidhrí grew up in West London before moving to the East End to study history and politics at Queen Mary, University of London. He first joined Culture Trip as an intern, after gaining work experience at The Times, and soon took up the mantle of London Travel Writer. After a lifetime of committed research, it's safe to say Ruaidhrí knows the capital pretty well, but if you know about something cool, quirky or interesting going on, he wants to hear about it @RuaidhriCarroll

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