Hop Exchange, Grade II listed building in Bankside, London, England
The Hop Exchange at 24 Southwark Street is a Victorian trading building with red brick facades, stone trim, and a large trading hall topped with a glass roof. Inside, you can see the layout typical of a 19th-century marketplace, with spaces for storage, negotiation, and goods movement.
Built in 1867 by architect R.H. Moore, it quickly became the central hub for hop trading that fed London's brewing industry. Its location was chosen for proximity to railway and river routes that brought hops from Kent and other growing regions.
The Great Hall served as a gathering place where hop traders and merchants negotiated deals that connected farming regions with London's breweries. Walking through, you can sense how this building anchored the city's relationship with its brewing industry.
The building sits close to London Bridge Station and is easily reached by public transport. Most areas are ground level or accessible by broad stairs, though a few steps lead to the main entrance.
This is the last surviving specialized trading exchange of its kind in London; similar venues for coal, metals, and stocks have all disappeared. Its preservation makes it a rare window into how commerce worked in the 1800s.
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