The wrought-iron decoration and rich, jewel-coloured atrium paintwork make Halifax Borough Market a joy to behold. This covered market opened in 1896 and has been a hive of traders ever since. It’s packed with butchers, greengrocers, bakers, haberdashery stalls and small independent cafes that serve locals as they shop. The Grade II-listed market has been filmed in several productions, including Ackley Bridge and Last Tango in Halifax, and is a quintessential slice of local life in this industrious West Yorkshire town.
The four-storey stone buildings surrounding the covered glass canopy are topped with baroque turrets and would have once served as living quarters for market traders. If you’re visiting, check to see if there’s a guided tour running, which will explain more about the history of the market and even take you up to the roof to see a curious row of terrace houses and Victorian hotel that have been dubbed ‘the street in the sky’.
