The first record of a “new market in Covent Garden” is in 1654. The original market, consisting of wooden stalls and sheds, became disorganised and disorderly, and a neo-classical market building was built that is the heart of Covent Garden today. Further buildings were added – the Floral hall, Charter Market, and in 1904 the Jubilee Market for foreign flowers was built.
1974 the market relocated to its new site, New Covent Garden Market, about 5 km south-west. The central building re-opened as a shopping centre in 1980, with cafes, pubs, small shops and a craft market called the Apple Market. Another market, the Jubilee Market, is held in the Jubilee Hall on the south side of the square.