Camden Passage is not in Camden. It is in Angel, three miles away, and the market’s own website has to say so in writing.
“Camden Passage is in Angel, Islington and is entirely unrelated to Camden Market, Camden Lock Market or Camden Town Market.”
When a market has to publish a sentence like that, people are evidently getting it wrong often enough to matter.
The nearest station is Angel on the Northern line, not Camden Town. Both are on the Northern line, which is exactly why the mistake happens: they are on different branches, and the journey between them involves changing trains.
So before anything else: get off at Angel. Satnav postcode N1 8EA.
Which of the three markets open on which day
This is the part no guide gets right, because Camden Passage is not one market but three separate outdoor areas, and they do not all open together.
The three: Camden Passage Market, in the heart of the passage. Charlton Place Market, at the junction with Charlton Place. Pierrepont Arcade Market, on the corner of Pierrepont Row.
Published day by day, checked on 6 October 2026:
Monday: markets closed.
Tuesday: markets closed.
Wednesday: stalls in all three areas.
Thursday: Pierrepont Arcade only, with weekly vintage clothing and vintage jewellery stalls.
Friday: Camden Passage Market and Pierrepont Arcade only. Charlton Place does not open.
Saturday: stalls in all three areas.
Sunday: stalls in all three areas.
Read that properly and the planning falls out of it.
For the full market, go Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday. Those are the three days every area is open.
For vintage clothing and jewellery specifically, Thursday is the dedicated day, even though it is the quietest, because that is when Pierrepont Arcade runs its weekly vintage stalls.
Do not come on a Monday or Tuesday. The markets are shut, though the shops along the passage are a separate matter.
Their own caveat, and it is a fair one: “Opening days and hours may vary particularly during Bank Holiday and other holiday periods. Also the type of market listed is subject to change. It is advisable to check before planning a visit.”
Wednesday is the useful discovery here. Most people assume a London antiques market is a weekend thing, and a midweek visit gets the whole of Camden Passage with a fraction of the crowd.
It is a car free passage
Which is why it works, and why it looks nothing like Camden.
The site describes itself as “a vibrant car free passage in the heart of Angel, Islington”. It is a narrow pedestrian lane rather than a market square, lined with permanent shops, with the stall areas filling the gaps.
Driving: car parks are under Angel Central Shopping Centre and at the Business Design Centre. A cycle hire docking station is on Islington Green.
Buses to Angel: the 4, 19, 30, 38, 43, 56, 73, 153, 214, 274, 341 and 394.
Distances, from the site’s own reckoning: about 1.5 miles from the West End and Covent Garden, and about 1 mile from the City. King’s Cross and St Pancras are roughly 20 minutes by bus or taxi, Euston about 25.
The shops are the reason to come midweek
Several of them are the kind of specialist that has largely vanished from central London, and they keep their own hours rather than the market’s.
Japanese Gallery, for antique and contemporary Japanese woodblock hand prints, plus anime and manga related pieces.
Loop, for knitting supplies, which has a following well beyond Islington.
Four and Twenty Blackbirds, for vintage costume, fashion lace and textiles, necklaces, bracelets, boots, books and top hats.
Pistachio and Pickle Dairy, for artisan cheeses, pickles and breads.
Barber Smiths Islington, for traditional barbering.
Because the shops and the markets run on different schedules, a Monday or Tuesday visit is not wasted, it is just a shopping trip rather than a market one. The site’s standing advice applies: “Opening hours for each of the businesses and the outdoor markets can vary. It is advisable to check before planning a visit.”
Four theatres within walking distance
Worth knowing because it makes Camden Passage a useful place to eat before a show.
Within walking distance: the Almeida Theatre, Sadler’s Wells, the King’s Head Theatre and the Red Lion Theatre.
Also minutes away across Upper Street: the Business Design Centre exhibition hall and the O2 Academy Islington, plus the Islington Hilton, Doubletree and Premier Inn.
So a Wednesday works particularly well: full market in the afternoon, dinner in the passage, a play at the Almeida or the King’s Head afterwards.
How to plan it
Get off at Angel, not Camden Town. Different place, different branch of the line.
Full market: Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday.
Quietest full market day: Wednesday.
Vintage clothing and jewellery: Thursday, at Pierrepont Arcade.
Friday: two of three areas, with Charlton Place closed.
Monday and Tuesday: markets shut, shops open.
Driving: N1 8EA, and park under Angel Central or at the Business Design Centre.
Making an evening of it: the Almeida, Sadler’s Wells, the King’s Head and the Red Lion are all walkable.
Camden Passage
- Address
- Camden Passage, Islington, London N1 8EA
- Nearest
- Angel on the Northern line. Buses 4, 19, 30, 38, 43, 56, 73, 153, 214, 274, 341 and 394 serve Angel, and there is a cycle hire dock on Islington Green
- Hours
- Three separate market areas. All three open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Thursday is Pierrepont Arcade only, with weekly vintage clothing and jewellery. Friday is Camden Passage Market and Pierrepont Arcade only. Markets closed Monday and Tuesday, though the shops keep their own hours
- Booking
- None needed
- Price
- Free to walk. Stall and shop prices vary
- Standing
- A car free pedestrian passage in Angel lined with antiques, vintage and specialist shops, with three outdoor market areas: Camden Passage Market, Charlton Place Market and Pierrepont Arcade Market
How to get in
It is nothing to do with Camden Market, Camden Lock or Camden Town, a point the market’s own site states explicitly, and the nearest station is Angel. The three market areas do not all open on the same days: all three run Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, Thursday is Pierrepont Arcade alone with vintage clothing and jewellery, Friday leaves out Charlton Place, and Monday and Tuesday have no markets at all. Wednesday gives the full market with the smallest crowd. The Almeida, Sadler’s Wells, the King’s Head and the Red Lion theatres are all within walking distance.
Where to go next
Islington restaurants cover where to eat nearby, and Camden Market is the entirely separate place three miles west.
Portobello Road is the other great antiques market, and London’s food markets cover the eating, and cheap theatre tickets covers the Almeida and Sadler’s Wells schemes.
Questions we get asked
Is Camden Passage in Camden?
No. Camden Passage is in Angel, Islington, and the market's own website states that it is entirely unrelated to Camden Market, Camden Lock Market and Camden Town Market. The nearest station is Angel on the Northern line. Camden Town is about three miles away on a different branch of the same line, which is why people get it wrong.
What days is Camden Passage market open?
All three market areas open on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Thursday is Pierrepont Arcade Market only, running weekly vintage clothing and vintage jewellery stalls. Friday is Camden Passage Market and Pierrepont Arcade Market, with Charlton Place closed. There are no markets on Monday or Tuesday, although the permanent shops along the passage keep their own hours.
When is the best day to visit Camden Passage?
Wednesday, if you want the full market without the crowds. It is one of only three days when all three market areas open, and the other two are Saturday and Sunday. If you are specifically after vintage clothing or jewellery, Thursday is the day those stalls run at Pierrepont Arcade.
How do you get to Camden Passage?
Angel station on the Northern line is nearest. Buses 4, 19, 30, 38, 43, 56, 73, 153, 214, 274, 341 and 394 all serve Angel, and there is a cycle hire docking station on Islington Green. Driving, use N1 8EA, with car parks under Angel Central Shopping Centre and at the Business Design Centre. It is roughly 1.5 miles from the West End and a mile from the City.
What shops are in Camden Passage?
Specialists rather than chains. Japanese Gallery sells antique and contemporary Japanese woodblock hand prints along with anime and manga pieces, Loop sells knitting supplies, Four and Twenty Blackbirds deals in vintage costume, fashion lace and textiles, Pistachio and Pickle Dairy sells artisan cheese, pickles and breads, and Barber Smiths does traditional barbering. The shops run on different hours from the markets, so a Monday or Tuesday visit still works for shopping.
Are there theatres near Camden Passage?
Four within walking distance: the Almeida Theatre, Sadler's Wells, the King's Head Theatre and the Red Lion Theatre. The O2 Academy Islington and the Business Design Centre are also minutes away across Upper Street, which makes the passage a practical place to eat before a show.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 377 in the guide.
Last checked 6 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
