The first Guildhall Gallery, was built in the City of London in 1885 but was sadly destroyed by a devastating fire caused by an air raid in the summer of 1941. Much of the galleries collection had already been moved to Wiltshire to keep it safe throughout the war but unfortunately most of what was left behind was completely ruined, including 164 paintings, drawings, watercolours and prints. A “temporary” gallery was built after the war in 1946 and finally in 1985, nearly 40 years later, the Guildhall was restored to its former glory. The old building was then completely demolished and as part of the demolition something incredible was discovered, underneath the old gallery, were the ruins of a Roman Amphitheatre which was incorporated into the new design.

I really love the Guildhall, although the gallery is relatively small, their collection is quite big, this means it’s always rotating and every time you visit, you tend to see something different. Also they specialise in art that depicts London, today I want to share some of the market scenes I saw on a recent visit to the gallery.

London Market

Smithfield Market

“The Meat Market “

Old Billingsgate Market

“The Fish Market”

Billingsgate Fish Market has actually been around since the 16th century, originally the market consisted of sheds that ran across Billingsgate Wharf. This painting depicts “Old” Billingsgate Market which opened in 1877, the market remained here until 1962 when it was relocated to Poplar. In 2021, there are plans for the market to move again, along with Smithfield’s Meat Market and New Spitafield’s (the fruit and veg market), to Barking Reach.

British Red Cross Guildhall Christmas Market

A couple of years ago I worked selling charity Christmas cards at St Mary-le-Bow Church, Cheapside, yes, the job was as charming as it sounds and the majority of my days were spent dreamily sipping coco and watching the world go by. This job was just a stones throw from the Guildhall Gallery,

This is a market held every year at the Guildhall that runs for two days.