Spitalfields Market

The Spitalfields Market is a market in the Spitalfields region of Whitechapel borough in London, England.

History

In the late seventeenth century, a silk-thrower named John Balch acquired the rights to hold a market in Spitalfields every Thursday and Saturday. The market, which sold only fruits and vegetables, was a quick success.

Shortly after the market opened, London experienced a wave of Huguenots who had been expelled from France for their religious beliefs. Many of those who settled in Spitalfields were skilled silkweavers, and sold their wares at the market, and it became synonymous with its luxurious silk.

In 1875, the market's lease passed to developer Robert Horner, who fought regularly with the Whitechapel District Board of Works to expand it. An iron and glass roof was built in 1883, and the surrounding shops were built over the next century.

Behind the scenes

In game Spitalfields Market reuses the buildings from the Covent Garden rather than its actual buildings. Its main hall is specifically based on the Apple Market formerly known as the Fruit and Vegetable Market. However, the iron-and-glass roof is slightly anachronistic as it was built in the 1870s.

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate