Welcome to Kington upon Thames

Ancient Market Place

Kingston’s historic Market Place has been in use since around 1170 when Henry II was on the throne. Over the past 800 years Market Place has been used for much more than just selling produce and has been a place for both celebration and punishment - the busy Market Place was the ideal location for Kingston’s criminals to get their comeuppance in the stocks.

Kingston’s Market Place is the focal point for outdoor entertainment and activities in Kingston today and, just like in ancient times, it’s not just a place to sell produce. Market Place is a venue for music concerts, carnivals, car displays, promotional events, fun days, face-painting, ten pin bowling, cookery demonstrations, health checks, parades, stilt-walkers, birds of prey displays, and many more special events throughout the year.

Kingston’s Market Place regularly hosts visiting markets, including the festive Christmas Market, regular Continental Markets featuring delicious foods from the continent, and for arts and craft lovers the popular Thames Markets.

A visit to the Market Place offers much more than a shopping trip, you can grab some delicious local food, hot and cold drinks and be entertained by street performers or just relax and watch the world go by.

Want to host your own event in the Ancient Market Place? The location can be hired for an event or a special market, please see our 'Visiting Markets' page for more information.

Ancient Market

You can almost taste the heritage on offer at Kingston’s Ancient Market with its historical location surrounding Market House. You’ll be amazed at the fantastic displays of fresh fruit and vegetables on offer as well as a variety of other wares.

Fresh produce of every kind is available from a plethora of exciting stalls which have their own impressive heritage; one of the oldest stalls is Webster’s Fishmongers which has been trading in Kingston since 1866. The vibrancy of the market means that new stalls are setting up every year with a range of different produce and you are guaranteed a warm welcome from our friendly stall holders.

Open six days a week, Monday - Saturday, from 9am – 5pm, you can shop for your essentials or for special treats at Kingston’s Ancient Market.

You can grab a snack on the go from one of the many food stalls which are found along the back of the market, opposite the entrance to All Saints Church. Gourmet highlights to look out for include:

• The deliciously spicy tastes of Morocco at Exotic Tagine where owner Mohammed is a Kingston favourite and has represented the town around the UK and at competitions overseas.
• Namu, a modern Japanese café where there’s much more than sushi on offer and shoppers can grab a tasty and healthy bite.
• Knot Pretzels, which sells a range of unique London pretzels with innovative flavours – including the popular cinnamon or the roasted hazelnut pretzels.

Kingston’s Ancient Market is also the place to go for gifts and clothing, including handmade jewellery and vintage clothing. You can also pick up second hand DVDs, cards, party accessories and general household goods.

For more information on renting a stall at the Ancient Market, please visit our 'For Business' section.

Monday Market

Kingston’s Monday Market kick starts the trading week in Kingston as over 50 traders descend on the Cattle Market Surface Car Park (next to Kingfisher Leisure Centre), offering their goods from 9am – 1.30pm. The stalls offer an abundance of produce and products, many of which are at bargain prices and there are new and exciting stalls arriving every week.

Regular traders and products include:

• Traditional market stall holders such as florists, fishmongers, butchers, green grocers, bakers, key cutters, cobblers
• Vintage clothing, shoes and socks, books, cards, make up, mobile phone accessories, bric-a-brac
• Fabric and haberdashery, cushions and net curtains cut to order, rugs, vacuum cleaner accessories and general household goods.

For more information on holding a stall at the Monday Market, please visit our 'For Business' section.

Market House

The beautiful Grade II* listed Market House is right in the heart of Kingston’s Ancient Market Place and is a hub of entertainment and culture. The ground floor of this historic building is home to the town’s Tourist Information Centre and a versatile gallery space. The gallery hosts a range of exhibitions, markets and fairs throughout the year– including the popular Thames Markets, Kingston Artists Open Studios and Vintage Fairs.

The variety of exhibitions means it’s worth regularly checking what’s on as there’s always something exciting to see within the Market House.

For more information on what’s on in the Market House, visit the Kingstonfirst calendar.

For more information on booking rooms in the Market House, visit our 'For Business' section.