Metropolitan Cattle Market, Historical livestock market in Islington, London, England
The Metropolitan Cattle Market was a major livestock trading center in Islington covering a large area enclosed by cast iron railings and divided into sections for different classes of animals. The site included administrative buildings, four corner pubs, and a prominent clock tower that served as a landmark for the surrounding area.
The market was established in 1855 as a replacement for the overcrowded Smithfield Market, opening a new space for London's livestock trade to expand. It quickly became one of the most active trading hubs in 19th-century Britain for buying and selling cattle.
The market embodied the working life of Victorian North London, drawing traders and drovers who gathered around the corner pubs to conduct business and socialize. These gathering places reflected the rhythm of the livestock trade and the community that depended on it.
The market was organized into separate sections for different types of livestock and trading activities, making it easy for buyers to navigate and find what they needed. Direct railway connections allowed livestock to arrive from across the country and be unloaded efficiently.
The clock tower from the market was relocated to Caledonian Park after the site closed, where it still stands as a visible reminder of the place's industrial past. This relocated structure connects the market's history to the public space that eventually replaced it.
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