Fire destroys stalls at Kingston’s Ancient Market before dawn

Fire destroyed several stalls at Kingston’s Ancient Market early on Tuesday 6 October. Market Place has been cordoned off while the London Fire Brigade and the Metropolitan Police try to establish how it started.

The brigade received six calls about the fire, the first at 4.33am. It sent four fire engines and around 25 firefighters from Kingston, Surbiton, New Malden and other nearby stations. The brigade said the fire had been put out by 6.08am.

Kingston Market Place fire: what was damaged

The flames also reached the fronts of a number of buildings around the square. A small part of the roof of a neighbouring property was affected too. Police officers moved eight people out of the area. Both the brigade and the Met said nobody had been hurt.

The Met said the London Ambulance Service called officers at 4.49am. Police went to Market Place alongside fire crews and paramedics.

Kingston market closed while the investigation goes on

Kingston Council confirmed that several stalls and businesses had been damaged. It said traders inside the cordon would not open until further notice while the brigade and police carry out their investigation.

There has been a market in Kingston for centuries. The earliest records of it that survive go back to the early 1200s. Over 20 stalls are based there permanently, including a fishmonger and an artisan bakery, and they usually open every day between 10am and 5pm.

The council appointed Between The Bridges to run the market from 1 April 2025. The operator already runs the Southbank market of the same name, Venn Street Market in Clapham and Winterville. When it took over, it proposed new stalls and turning the Market House into a restaurant or cafe. It also put forward more outdoor seating and better toilets.