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The ornate 19th-century painted roof and cobbled floors of Leadenhall Market, located in the historic center of London’s financial district, make it a rather magical place to do a bit of shopping—even before it played a starring role in the Harry Potter films.
This covered Victorian market is one of the oldest markets in London, selling meat and fish as far back as the 14th century. The current green and red roof, however, was constructed in 1881 and made Leadenhall Market a popular attraction in London.
The marketplace was featured a few times in the Harry Potter series—it was the film location for some of the original exterior shots of Diagon Alley, the cobblestoned shopping hub of the wizarding world where Hogwarts students can stock up on school supplies like spellbooks and wands.
Today if you wander down the market's Bull’s Head Passage you may recognize the blue door of an optics shop (an empty storefront at the time of shooting) as the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron in Goblet of Fire. In the films, the magical Diagon Alley is accessible to wizards and witches from London through the Leaky Cauldron, an unassuming pub wedged next to a record store. If only that were true for us Muggles.
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Know Before You Go
The market itself is generally accessible 24/7, however, the shop hours vary and sometimes operates on limited hours.
Follow Cornhill from Bank underground station, then take Gracechurch Street on the right before left into the market.
The market gets very busy, and the cafes spill out onto the cobbles, which could cause problems for some with limited mobility.
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Published
August 1, 2016
