- Tube Stations: Farringdon, Barbican
- Rail Stations: Farringdon, Barbican
- Location: Centred around Smithfield Market, which is south of Clerkenwell and northwest of the City off Charterhouse Street
- Borough: Islington (www.islington.gov.uk)
- Postcode: EC1
Landmarks: Smithfield Market has been London’s best bet for buying and selling meat for the last 800 years. Even today, about 120,000 tons of it, plus poultry and other produce, pass through the market and into the stomachs of hungry shoppers – well, it’s cooked first, obviously.
Known for: Meat, meat and more meat. In fact, the area has such a connection with meat that even the street names reflect it – no points for guessing what Cowcross Street and Poultry Avenue were named after.
Who’s there? Loads of meat is unsurprisingly not a major tourist attraction, so you can expect farmers, butchers and restaurateurs nosing around.
Making history: From its early days as a smooth field where horses, pigs and cattle were sold, the area also became used as grounds for jousting tournaments, a cloth market and executions. William Wallace was hanged, drawn and quartered there, and Queen Mary ordered 200 Protestants to be burnt at the stake in the 1550s. Through it all, the market carried on and it’s recently undergone a £70 million refurb to make it meet modern hygiene standards.
Pub quiz facts: Number 41 – 42 Cloth Fair is considered to be London’s oldest lived-in house. It was built between 1597 and 1614, and is currently occupied by – who else? – an architect.
Famous faces: The area around Smithfield Market is home to some quality London restaurants, so if you’re familiar with their hardworking chefs you might see them around trying to sniff out the best possible cuts.
When it’s hot: There’s a mighty lot of food shopping to be done in the area, but just remember that there’s only so much raw cow you can take home on the tube.
When it’s not: Go explore the beautiful Norman-style interior of St. Bartholomew the Great (www.greatstbarts.com), one of London’s oldest churches.