Kingston-upon-Thames' historic Ancient Market has begun reopening after a fire destroyed several stalls in the early hours of October 6. The first stalls, located on the opposite side to where the blaze erupted, reopened on Monday, a fortnight after the incident.
Four fire engines and 25 firefighters responded to the scene at around 4.30am as flames spread through the stalls. Eight people were evacuated during the blaze, which lasted an hour-and-a-half. A video taken by Toni & Guy Kingston captured the devastating fire.
Clean-up and reopening
Damaged stalls had to be demolished and removed, with other remedial work needed as part of a large clean-up operation. Stalls affected by the fire remained closed.
Kingston Council leader Andreas Kirsch said: "We are working hard to reopen Kingston’s Ancient Market safely following the devastating fire. Clear up work at the site is progressing well. We understand how hard this is for traders but the safety of everyone who uses the market is our priority and we will take every precaution necessary."
Trader's fundraiser
One trader, Tim the Fish, who has had a stall at the market for over 30 years, set up a GoFundMe page to get his business running again. He has raised nearly £14,000 from 580 donations.
Speaking about his fundraiser, Tim said: "A devastating fire has forced my stall to close. Unfortunately, I did not have insurance in place, which means I am now facing the full financial impact of what has happened. On top of losing my livelihood, I am left with significant debts for fresh stock that I can no longer sell to the people in our local town."
He added: "After more than 30 years of working hard and serving my community, I never imagined I would find myself in a position where I would have to ask for help. Any money raised will go towards helping cover the stock and debts I have been left with, the losses caused by the fire, and hopefully giving me a chance to rebuild and get back on my feet."
Cause and history
The fire is believed to have started in a faulty fridge and then spread through the stalls, also damaging other stores that look onto the market place. A cordon was put in place while police officers and firefighters tried to establish the cause of the fire.
A market has been located in Kingston for centuries, with the oldest surviving records dating back to the early 1200s. The Ancient Market is home to more than 25 permanent stalls and trades seven days a week, from 10am to 5pm. It includes a fishmongers, greengrocers, florist, an artisan bakery and a number of food stalls.
The Between The Bridges market operator was appointed by Kingston Council to run Kingston Ancient Market from 1 April 2025. It has experience operating the Southbank 'Between The Bridges' market, Clapham's Venn Street Market and Winterville. On taking over the running of the Kingston market, it stressed that it wanted to transform it into a vibrant, distinctive venue that fosters a strong sense of community, proposing new market stalls, refurbishment of the Market House for a new restaurant/cafe, relocating a statue, more external seating, better waste storage facilities and improved toilets.
