Portobello Market is a world-famous street market
on Portobello Road in the Notting Hill district of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
You will find antiques, arcades, Bric-a-Brac, and clothing.
Fresh flowers are plentiful.
Food shops and stalls are everywhere.
One thing you cannot capture in photos or text are the smells of all sorts of food.
The road is named after a town called Puerto Bello,
which is in modern day Panama. The town was captured by Admiral Edward Vernon
in 1740. To honour the occasion, a farm near the modern-day market was named
Portobello Farm.
The market began like other London markets selling
fresh foods in the 1800s. In recent decades, antiques have become a popular
attraction.
By mid-morning, the road is crowded with people
speaking many different languages, wheeling suitcases, and taking photos.
This video clip is from SuttonTravels, which is my YouTube Travel Channel is from 1 June 2019. We arrived at Notting Hill Station and ambled along the road listening to chatter and music and taking in the savoury and sweet smells of cooked meats, fresh fruit and veg, and bakeries.
This video clip is from SuttonTravels, which is my YouTube Travel Channel is from 8 March 2008. You can see by the clothes that it was a cool day.
Market Hours (check the web for the latest): The primary shopping day is Saturday when all
the shops and street stalls are open. Recently, Saturday hours were 09:00 to
19:00 and Monday to Thursday hours were 09:00 to 18:00. Thursday closing was at
13:00. Some shops and cafes are open every day.
Location: Portobello Road is a street in the Notting
Hill District of the Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which is in west
London.
Google map link: Map Portobello Road
Tube: The most popular underground stop is Notting
Hill Gate. Follow the signs on exiting the station. This is the way I have
taken family and friends for years. On the Tube Map, look for the Central (red),
Circle (yellow), and District (green) lines.
You can use the Ladbroke Grove station as
well. It is on the Hammersmith and City Line (purple).
Buses (check for most recent updates): Many London buses
stopped close to Portobello road. Recent examples include 7,12, 23, 27, 28, 31, 52,
70, 328. Check Transport for London (tfl.uk).
Toilets: There were two self-cleaning public toilets, older public toilets, and toilets
in cafes and pubs.
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