Columbia Road Flower Market brings a burst of colour to a cold Sunday in East London. In this Roberts London video, I travel to Bethnal Green and walk over to the market for flowers, street music and a look around the surrounding shops.
Filmed in February 2018 and re-uploaded on 11 March 2018, this is an archive of that winter visit. References to opening hours and local businesses describe the original trip.
Watch the Columbia Road Flower Market walk
From Bethnal Green to Columbia Road
The journey begins on the Tube before I emerge at Bethnal Green station. February is still firmly winter here. It is only just above freezing, and the wind makes it feel colder as I head towards the market.
Even so, there is plenty happening in London. In the introduction, I talk about Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day, with restaurants, bars and hotels preparing for a busy month. Flowers are part of that conversation, which makes Columbia Road a fitting destination for this Sunday walk.
A Sunday soundtrack
Before getting deep into the stalls, I take a look at the streets beside the market. There are places for coffee, breakfast or lunch, so the walk offers more than a quick stop to buy a bunch of flowers.
Street musicians add another reason to slow down. Their music becomes part of the film as I explore the area, mixing with the bustle around the shopfronts. These little pauses give a sense of the Sunday atmosphere beyond the flowers themselves.
Flowers and plants at Columbia Road Flower Market
Then it is time to browse the displays. Buckets of cut flowers sit alongside foliage, while potted plants fill the space around the stalls. The camera moves between close views of the stock and wider glimpses of people making their way along the street.
There is a lot to take in at walking pace. Different colours and textures appear at every turn, from the flower heads to the branches rising above the buckets. Against the cold weather, the displays make this stretch of East London feel full of life.
The film also pauses for a short account of the market’s past. After that, the walk returns to the flowers, with time to enjoy the stalls rather than rush straight through.
Independent shops, cafés and pub stops
The surrounding businesses are another part of the appeal. During the visit, I point out antiques, crafts, art and supplies for plants and flowers. Cafés, coffee shops and pubs add places to stop along the way.
In the 2018 narration, I describe the Sunday market as starting at about eight in the morning and winding down around three in the afternoon. I also mention that some shops open during the week. Those details belong to this archive visit; the video captures one winter Sunday on Columbia Road.
Back on the Tube
After a final look at the stalls, I say goodbye and head home. The video closes with the sound of a Tube announcement, bringing the trip back to where it started: a simple journey across London for a few hours out in the city.
For more from the same month, watch Winter in London: Columbia Road, Chinatown and Crystal Palace, which brings this market visit together with other February outings.
