Metropolitan Market, Copenhagen Fields in 1900

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Arthur H. Beavan continued his survey of London's food markets in Imperial London, 1901, with this look at the Metropolitan Market:

The Metropolitan, Copenhagen Fields, was the great live-cattle market of London.

It was established in 1855 to supplant Smithfield, which had become a terror and a nuisance.

It covered over seventy-five acres of ground, and in shape was an irregular quadrangle with clock-tower in the centre, beneath which was a twelve-sided structure for various banks, salesmen's offices, etc.

Large taverns at each of the four corners of the quadrangle did a roaring trade in breakfasts required by sellers and buyers alike, who by eight o'clock found themselves in need of something substantial, not to speak of the "snacks" and "drinks" that seemed to be the inevitable concomitants of a bargain in sheep or oxen.

On market-days, from the roof of the campanile buildings one's eye ranged over rows upon rows of bullocks, each beast secured to the substantial railings that formed the gangways.

The sheep were confined to pens; the calves and pigs in another covered-in quarter of the area.

To the south were the public abattoirs, where the purchaser may drive his lot to be deftly slaughtered and dressed.

There was supposed to be accommodation in this market for about 7000 oxen and 42,000 sheep, besides calves, pigs, etc.; but the average "attendance" of beasts was much below this.

The record Christmas market was in the year 1862, when 8,340 oxen were tied up.

This was thought to be prodigious even for Modern Babylon; but in several places in America, at Chicago for instance, it would not be regarded as exceptionally great.

Next: London's Markets in 1900: Central Market, Smithfield