main content Celebrating historic charter market

This year marks the 800th anniversary of Bromley Charter Market, a weekly general market held every Thursday in Station Road car park. The granting of the Charter ensured Bromley town centre’s role as the hub of trading and commerce in the area. To celebrate, the Council’s Street Services team are organising a series of free events in and around the market each Thursday in July.

“The market is an integral part of Bromley’s heritage and we are proud to celebrate a tradition that has survived eight centuries. We are marking this unique occasion by arranging some special events, a change from our usual role of issuing licences to market stallholders! Even today, the market continues to serve the people of Bromley - offering good value for money and adding colour and variety to our excellent shopping facilities” said Councillor George Taylor, Executive Councillor for the Environment.

Some of the festivities and entertainment on offer will include live music, jesters and jugglers along with children’s favourites like face painting and Punch and Judy. To entice town centre shoppers to go along, a ‘road show’ in the pedestrian area will also be providing entertainment and information.

If you haven’t been to the market before, this is the perfect opportunity to look around. With stalls offering everything from fruit and veg to ladies fashions - there’s something for everyone. Even the market stallholders will be entering into the spirit of things with their own brand of medieval merriment!

The market was established in 1205 when a charter to hold a weekly Tuesday market in Market Square was first granted by King John. In 1447 John Lowe, Bishop of Rochester and Lord of the Manor of Bromley, obtained a revised charter from King Henry VI. This changed the weekly market day to Thursday and also granted the privilege of holding two annual fairs in Market Square. Although the fairs haven’t been held since 1862, Bromley Charter Market continues to flourish and now resides in Station Road - it’s home for more than seventy years.

Bromley Charter Market is open every Thursday from 9am to 3 pm so pop along and see what’s on offer!

To find out more about the Bromley Charter Market or how to become a market stallholder, call Street Services Help Desk on: 020 8313 4768

ENDS

• For media enquiries, please contact Andrew Rogers, Communications Advisor on 020 8461 7670 e-mail andrew.rogers@bromley.gov.uk or Peter Turvey, Enforcement and Technical Support Manager on 020 8313 4901.