Grainger Market: "Traditional city market" Top 5 Page for this destination Newcastle upon Tyne Shopping Tip by toonsarah

Although it has been recently refurbished, this market in the centre of town retains much the same character and range of stalls that it has held for years. It’s a good place to come for fresh fruit and vegetables, and there are several butchers selling locally produced meat from the farms of Northumberland. But in addition to these there are a number of idiosyncratic Newcastle establishments. These include the Weigh House, where you can be weighed for a charge of 10p – many locals go regularly to check up on their weight. There is also a very early branch of Marks & Spencer, dating back to 1895 when it was a Penny Bazaar – this is the world's smallest Marks and Spencer store. These days the items on sale cost rather more than a penny but there are still end of range bargains to be had.

Another long-standing institution is Robinsons, a second-hand book stall, while the Northern Optical Company has been here since 1894. You’ll also find a couple of good haberdashery stalls (fabrics and sewing materials), a Chinese foodstuffs shop (a recent addition) and tobacconists, including the aptly-named Cheap Tab Shop – “tab” is Geordie for cigarette.

By the way, you may also find locals referring to this as the "covered-in market", for obvious reasons, but the signs all say Grainger Market so don't be misled.

Directions: Entrances in Nelson, Market and Grey streets
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