Sun sets on New Covent Garden Flower Market on final day of trading but business will bloom at fresh London plot
- An open-air fruit and vegetable market was opened in Covent Garden in London more than 350 years ago
- It moved to Nine Elms, south London, in 1974 and customers today bought flowers on its final trading day
- On Monday, it will move just down the road - still in Nine Elms - and into a new and bright modern premises
Customers today bought flowers on the final full day of trading at London's New Covent Garden Market.
In 1654, a small open-air fruit and vegetable market opened in Covent Garden in central London.
The Floral Hall, now part of the Royal Opera House, opened as the flower market in the mid-1800s.
By 1974, the market relocated to the New Covent Garden Market at Nine Elms in South West London and it was considered the finest flower suppliers in the capital.
It became the largest wholesale fruit, vegetable and flower market in the UK and covered a staggering 57 acres.
But on Friday, it closed its doors for the last time and will move to a new and bright modern premises on Monday.
The new market, in Nine Elms, will be home to 21 wholesalers and 10 florists.
During its time at the current location, it was visited by three quarters of the florists in the capital and had a £5 entry fee for visitors.
A woman held her dog as she picked up a bunch of flowers on the final day of trading at the famous New Covent Garden Market
A flower seller was standing at his stall on Friday morning as customers gathered at the historical flower market in south London
People on a guided tour took photographs on the final day of trading at the New Covent Garden Market which opened in south London in 1974
A flower seller was reading the Daily Mail on Friday as he sat near his stall at the famous flower market which is to move to a new home on Monday
Two women carried flowers in both arms after they snapped them up on the last day of official trading at the market before it moves
The flower market (pictured) will move a few hundreds yards down the road on Nine Elms Lane and will open on Monday
A flower sell was photographed working on his stall following the final full day of trading at the New Covent Garden Market
A female customer purchases some flowers from the market before it finally closes its doors and moves to its new home on Monday
Customers looked at the vast variety of flowers which were on offer during the last day of trading at the market - which was its home for more than 40 years
A flower seller used a broom to sweep up after the last full day of trading at the flower market - just days before it moves to a new location in Nine Elms
A flower seller was photographed cleaning her stall just before the famous market was closed for the last time on Friday
A group photograph of all the sellers is taken after the final full day of trading at London's New Covent Garden Market on March 31
A flower seller was seen loading a truck on Friday afternoon, the last time it would close before relocating to its new home
Huge banners hanging up in the market advertised the 'NEW flower market' which will be open on Monday, April 3
A stall holder at the New Covent Garden Market swings a golf club after clearing his stall on the final day of trading on Friday
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