" But they do say, in a circuit of some half-mile round the blue umbrella in Leadenhall Market" (c)

LEADENHALL MARKET.

Leadenhall, the chief market for poultry and game in London, is one of the sights of the metropolis, especially at Christmastide. On this spot, off Leadenhall Street, stood Sir Hugh Neville's house, which was converted into a market as far back as 1445. Leadenhall is one of the markets under the control of the City Corporation.
The City’s ownership of Leadenhall Market began 600 years ago when a former Lord Mayor, Richard ‘Dick’  Whittington, gifted Leadenhall to the City in 1411 and Lord Mayor, Simon Eyre, replaced the Hall with a public granary, school and chapel in 1440 as a gift to the citizens of London. The market was enlarged to provide a site for selling poultry, grain, eggs, butter, cheese, herbs and other foodstuffs. In the next 200 years Leadenhall Market was a centre of commerce with further markets for wool, leather and cutlery. In 1666 Leadenhall Market largely escaped the great fire of London, with only a small amount of damage to the Herb Market.
In 1881 the building was redesigned by the City's architect, Sir Horace Jones, also architect of Billingsgate and Smithfield Markets. His designs featured wrought iron and glass, which replaced the earlier stone structure.
The Poultry Market remained until the 20th century, by which time all shop units were let for the sale of meat, fish or provisions. By the mid 20th century the shops were also being used for general retailing and leisure and by the end of the century Leadenhall Market, now a Grade 2 listed structure, had evolved into one of the City’s five principal shopping centres.