Grainger Market

About Grainger Market

The Grainger Market was completed on 24 October 1835 to a design attributed to John Dobson, part of Richard Grainger's rebuilding of the town centre that swept away the older markets to make way for Grey Street. It is Grade I listed and still a working covered market rather than a heritage exhibit, with a vegetable market hall and four alleys of traders selling fish, meat, cheese, flowers, fabric, coffee and cheap hot food. It is free to walk in and one of the best wet-weather hours in the city.

In Alley 3 stands the world's oldest surviving Marks & Spencer, the Original Penny Bazaar, which has traded on the site since 1895 and is the chain's smallest branch, with its dark red and gold shopfront intact. Elsewhere in the market you will find independents that have become city institutions in their own right, among them Pumphrey's, trading as a coffee business since 1750, and North Shore Coffee Co. The market keeps shop hours rather than city-centre hours, closing at 5.30pm and on Sundays, so it rewards a morning or early-afternoon visit. Monument Metro is about two minutes away.

Featured in These Guides

Blog posts and guides that feature Grainger Market.

Christmas Lights Switch-On in Newcastle 2026

Newcastle switches on its Christmas lights on Thursday 12 November 2026 at Grey's Monument. It is free with no tickets, a week before the Christmas Market opens. Here is where to stand, how to get there and what is still to be announced.

Best Streets and Areas to Live in Newcastle City Centre

Grainger Town flats above classical shopfronts, Quayside apartments, the creative Ouseburn, Georgian Leazes and the quiet square at Summerhill: a street-level guide to living in central Newcastle.

Grainger Market Becomes a Catwalk for Fashion Britain

The Grainger Market hosted a Fashion Britain catwalk show on 26 September, showcasing Newcastle College student designs inspired by the city's heritage alongside a show from local label Jerry J Clothing.

Newcastle Restaurant Week: How It Works and How to Make the Most of It

Newcastle Restaurant Week runs twice a year, with well over a hundred city-centre restaurants offering fixed-price set menus. Here is how the scheme works and how to get the best out of it.

Supermarkets & Groceries in Newcastle City Centre

Where to do a weekly shop or grab an evening's essentials in central Newcastle, from the Eldon Square Foodhall and the convenience branches to the independent stalls of the Grainger Market.

The Best Butchers in Newcastle City Centre

Where to buy quality meat in central Newcastle, from the family butchers inside the Grainger Market to the cheesemonger and fishmonger that make it a proper food market.

The Best Independent Shops in Newcastle City Centre

A guide to the independent retailers that give Newcastle city centre its character, from Grainger Market traders and record shops to delis, jewellers, florists and family butchers.

A History of Newcastle's High Street

How Newcastle's principal shopping streets grew from a Georgian turnpike into Grainger Town's grand terraces, and how the retail heart shifted over two centuries.

The Best Photography Spots in Newcastle City Centre

A practical guide to the best places to take photos in Newcastle city centre, from the Tyne bridges and Quayside to Grainger Town, rooftop viewpoints, the Ouseburn and golden-hour timing.

Historic Trades and Crafts of Newcastle

Coal, keels, glass, pottery and the engines that changed the world. A guide to the trades and crafts that built Newcastle, and where to see their legacy today.

Interesting Facts About Newcastle

The castle that named the city, the first public room lit by electric light, a fair larger than Central Park and a vampire rabbit above a cathedral door: verified facts about Newcastle upon Tyne.

Newcastle on Screen: The City in Film and TV

From Get Carter to Our Friends in the North, Byker Grove to Vera, here is the Newcastle you have already seen on screen, and where to find the locations for yourself.

A Weekend in Newcastle City Centre: A 48-Hour Itinerary

How to spend a relaxed weekend in the middle of Newcastle, from Friday-night drinks on Grey Street to the Quayside bridges, city museums and a slow Sunday by the river.

Moving to Newcastle City Centre: A Guide to Living in the City

What it is really like to live in Newcastle city centre and the quarters around it, from Grainger Town and the Quayside to the Ouseburn and Shieldfield. A practical look at transport, housing, amenities and the trade-offs of centre living.

Best Walks in and around Newcastle City Centre

From the Quayside and the Ouseburn to the Town Moor and the medieval walls, the best walks are all within reach of the middle of Newcastle without a car.

Rainy Day: Indoor Things to Do in Newcastle City Centre

A round-up of the best indoor attractions in Newcastle city centre for a wet day, from four free museums and galleries to bowling, crazy golf and the shops. Plenty to do without a coat.

Best Bakeries in Newcastle City Centre

Sourdough on Pink Lane, stotties and griddle scones in the Grainger Market, Chinese custard tarts on the edge of Chinatown and the sausage roll that started in Newcastle. A guide to the city centre's bakeries.

Lost Buildings of Newcastle: What Stood Where

A Georgian shopping arcade under a roundabout, two-thirds of a Dobson square under a shopping centre, a panopticon prison under an office block. Twelve buildings Newcastle no longer has, and the exact spot to stand to see where each one was.

Best Breakfast and Brunch in Newcastle City Centre

The best traditional fry-ups in the city centre are hidden inside the Grainger Market, the most wanted brunch tables cannot be booked, and Sunday is the hardest day of the week. A guide to where to eat breakfast in Newcastle.

Things to Do in Newcastle City Centre

A complete guide to the city centre: how it fits together, what to do with two hours or a full day, and where to go for museums, the Quayside, food, shopping, children, sport and the seasonal calendar.

Free Things to Do in Newcastle City Centre

Newcastle has four free museums and galleries, a Grade I listed covered market, two miles of medieval town wall, a thousand acres of common land and a free organ recital every Monday. Here is what genuinely costs nothing, and what used to be free but is not any more.

Christmas Markets in Newcastle City Centre

The 2026 market runs from 19 November to 23 December across Grey Street, Grainger Street and the Monument, with a Christmas Village on Old Eldon Square and the lights going on a week before it opens.