Fruit and Wool Exchange

Fruit and Wool Exchange
Preserved facade of the Fruit and Wool Exchange Building in 2024, viewed from Old Spitalfields Market
Interactive map of the Fruit and Wool Exchange area
General information
Location1-10 Brushfield Street, Spitalfields, London E1 6EN
Coordinates51°31′08″N 0°04′31″W / 51.5189°N 0.0754°W / 51.5189; -0.0754
Inaugurated30 October 1929
Closed1991 (as wholesale market)
Demolished2015 (facade preserved, redevelopment completed 2018)
Design and construction
ArchitectSydney Perks

The Fruit and Wool Exchange was an exchange market in Spitalfields, London. Opened in 1929, it served as a distribution centre for produce that arrived through the Port of London. The building ceased to function as a fruit and vegetable market in 1991, and was redeveloped into offices between 2015 and 2018.

History

Designed by Sydney Perks and completed in 1929, the building's facade is built of brick and Portland Stone, with sash windows.[1][2] The building was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Kynaston Studd, on 30 October 1929.[3]

The building housed two separate exchanges: the London Fruit Exchange, and the London Wool Exchange. The London Wool Exchange was under the control of the Associated London Selling Wool Brokers (ALSWB) which consisted of nine firms.[4] The London Fruit Exchange was established by the four main auction fruit brokers in London, in conjunction with the Central Markets Committee of the Corporation of London, and held its first auction here in September 1929.[5]

During the Second World War, the basement of the exchange building was used as a bomb shelter during the Blitz.[3]

The building ceased to function as a fruit and vegetable market in 1991 with the opening of New Spitalfields Market. Afterwards the building housed many small businesses until its redevelopment.[3]

Redevelopment

In March 2012, Tower Hamlets Borough Council unanimously rejected proposals to demolish and redevelop the exchange building, but in October the council's decision was overruled by the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson.[6][7] The small businesses based in the building were given until the end of November to vacate the premises.[3] The redevelopment plans were opposed by many conservationists including historian Dan Cruickshank, and in 2013 the conservation group Save Britain's Heritage unsuccessfully appealed to English Heritage to have the building listed.[8] In 2015 the building was purchased by M&G Real Estate and demolition work began.[9][10]

The redevelopment was carried out by civil engineering company Sir Robert McAlpine and completed in April 2018. The front facade on Brushfield Street was preserved and incorporated into the new office building.[11] The original building was demolished, along with some neighbouring businesses including The Gun public house, as well as a 1960s multi-storey car park to the rear.[12][1] The rearward extension of the site also eradicated Dorset Street, where Jack the Ripper had murdered his final victim Mary Jane Kelly in Miller's Court, which had itself been demolished to make way for the building of the Fruit and Wool Exchange.[3]

  • Former loading bays on the now-eradicated Dorset Street
  • Rear of the old exchange building and multi-storey car park, both demolished to make room for the new office building
  • The Gun pub on the northwest corner of the exchange, demolished as part of the redevelopment
  • The retained facade (left) after the demolition, as seen in 2016

References

  1. ^ a b "Fruit and Wool Exchange". georgebarnsdale.co.uk. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  2. ^ "London Fruit & Wool". soltech.uk.com. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e "So Long, Spitalfields Fruit & Wool Exchange". spitalfieldslife.com. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Wool Warehouses". stgitehistory.org.uk. St George-in-the-East Church. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  5. ^ "At The Fruit & Wool Exchange, 1937". spitalfieldslife.com. 11 January 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  6. ^ Blunden, Mark (8 March 2012). "Spitalfields' historic wool exchange saved". The Standard. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  7. ^ "Fruit and Wool Exchange plans approved by Boris Johnson". BBC News. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  8. ^ De Peyer, Robin (16 May 2013). "London Fruit and Wool Exchange listing bid fails". East London Advertiser. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  9. ^ Home, Alex (4 March 2015). "M&G buys Fruit and Wool Exchange". Estates Gazette. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  10. ^ "The Ruins Of The Fruit & Wool Exchange". spitalfieldslife.com. 11 September 2015. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  11. ^ "The London Fruit & Wool Exchange". exemplar.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018.
  12. ^ "New life for London Fruit & Wool Exchange". srm.com. Sir Robert McAlpine. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
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