More than a market: 175 years of a 'community hub'

As Durham Market Hall prepares to celebrate its 175th anniversary, traders say its continued existence is vital as a stepping stone for independent businesses and a meeting place for the community.

"It's a social hub as much as anything," market manager James Wilson says.

"We have a lot of elderly or vulnerable people who come here for companionship.

"They come to the cafe, they come and stand and talk to one or two traders that they're friendly with."

The plans for the indoor market were ratified in May 1851 to help deal with the overcrowding of Market Place on Saturdays. It opened its doors in December the following year, but marks its birthday by the initial go-ahead.

And it has been part of some traders' lives years before they set up stalls themselves.

Chris Lameth, 28, and Miles Nelson, 29, run independent bookshop Bookwyrm, which specialises in LGBTQ+ books and recall coming to the site when they were teenagers.

Having a bookshop had been a "lifelong dream", which might not have been possible on the high street due to costs.

"The market's changing a little bit at the moment," Lameth says.

"You've got a lot of traders who've been here for a lot of years and are now retiring, so there's almost this changing of the guard."

Having opened just a few weeks ago, Shaun Campbell from Bud's Pet Supplies is the market's newest trader.

"It's got a lot of history," the 45-year-old says. "I used to come here as a child myself.

"I'd come with my dad when I was about 12, 13years old I think, so I know the place quite well.

"It's weird in a way because I didn't expect to be doing something like this."

Honey Kennedy, 27, and her sister Lily, 23, also spent a lot of time at the market as children, helping out their father Ian.

The siblings from Hartlepool now run the family cafe Cenno and the fish stall IK Fish which has been around for almost 40 years.

Honey says some customers remember them from when they were kids.

"To be going for 175 years, I think it's a massive achievement and we are very proud and pleased to be a part of that for however many years, even if it is maybe just a little smidgen of those 175 years."

Mark Wilson, from Durham City Watches, is also continuing his father's legacy, now running the business he originally set up in 1985.

He says the market was even more important in times of "copy-paste" retail parks and automated check-outs.

"I think it's really important that we continue to keep places like this going," the 41-year-old says.

"It's really significant, certainly for those who are very local and maybe can't get to the out-of-town shopping parks or simply don't want to travel too far.

"To have something like this on your doorstep, where you can get lots of different things and do all of your shopping locally, it's great for the residents but also great for the local economy."

While hopeful for the future, traders also say the market faces challenges such as the rise of online shopping and its impact on footfall.

Market manager Wilson says being at the helm at this moment in time is "an honour", but also "scary".

"We have to get it right," the former trader believes.

"My personal hope is to leave it in a better place than I found it, but it has to go on, markets have to go on."

Wilson says footfall in the venue has "mildly increased" in 2026 for the first time since the pandemic.

"I think people are starting to get bored of sitting in the house," he offers.

"So, it could be starting to swing the other way, but I think it will be a very gradual thing.

"It's just a matter of reminding people that we still exist, that Durham City Centre still exists."

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