We love this market – one of the largest in Europe – for the
sheer eclecticism of products that turn up on its stalls. Vendors
sprawl across 200 acres and, weaving through them, you’ll find
professional buyers on the prowl for fine antiques as well as
hobbyists and here-for-a-good-time browsers rummaging through more,
ahem, rustic items. It’s held every other month in line with the
nearby Newark International Antiques & Collectors Fair (see
below) – so if you’re in the market for a treasure-hunting road
trip, this is a great choice.

When: At the moment, sporadic. It’s best to
check their calendar here.

Entry: From £5

Perhaps the UK’s most famous fair and flea market, Newark draws
dealers from across the world. Under normal circumstances, more
than 2,000 stalls squeeze into its 80-acre site, meaning that the
atmosphere here is very crowded and very buzzy (think: Columbia
Road on a Sunday, except with antiques rather than flowers).
Vendors here really know their stuff – whether you’re browsing old
porcelain, industrial lighting or reclaimed windows, it’s almost
guaranteed to be of good quality.

When: Up to six times a year, Thursday and
Friday

Entry: From £5

For more than 25 years, the Great Hall of this 1870s, Grade
II-listed pile has hosted this fair specialising in antiques and
collectables. Trappings from the 20th century make up most of the
goods here, with an especially strong art-deco contingent, as well
as vintage clothing and that nostalgic kind of kitchenware that
makes home-cooked meals taste better.

When: Quarterly, Sunday

Entry: £6

Think of London’s antiques markets and you think: Portobello
Road, Brick Lane, Old Spitalfields. Yet there’s something about the
dulled roar of the A1 as you slip into this car-free street that
makes it one of our favourite spots for retro hunting. Camden
Passage (and the adjoining Pierrepont Arcade and Charlton Place) is
lined with small businesses peddling collectables, including Chris
Tapsell’s Oriental antiques, Annie’s vintage costumes and Caroline
Carrier’s delicate 20th-century porcelain. Head here on market day
when extra street stalls peddle kitsch clothing, bric-a-brac and
rare trinkets.

When: Weekly, Wednesday and Saturday

Entry: Free

Thanks to its proximity to the Channel, this market soaks up a
good deal of influence that washes over from continental Europe. As
well as ornamental antiques, coin collections and the like, you’ll
find the sort of quirky accent pieces and rustic, everyday objects
that attract a younger, vintage-loving crowd. Better yet, the
market’s within easy reach of London: take the 45-minute train from
London Victoria to Haywards Heath station – from here, a regular
coach service runs to the showground.

When: Up to seven times a year, Tuesday and
Wednesday

Entry: From £5

Set aside a full day for this mammoth fair; it’s one of the
largest in England, with 1,700 stallholders drawing upwards of
15,000 visitors every spring and autumn. Furniture and fine art
fill the NatWest Building, but if you’re after a memento that’s
easier to tote home, we recommend snooping through the pretty
porcelain, retro jewellery, garden tools, books and all manner of
knick-knacks in the main arena and marquee village. Wear comfy
shoes; this show spreads across many acres.

When: Twice yearly: end of March, early
October

Entry: From £5, early trade £15

There’s a certain sense of place at the Great Wetherby
Racecourse Antiques Fair; traders (mostly from the north east) tend
to be more down to Earth than hellbent on driving a hard bargain,
while agricultural regalia, railway memorabilia and
kitsch-utilitarian homewares feature heavily on the stalls. York,
Leeds and Harrogate are about an hour by car, making this a great
pit stop on a northern mini-break.

When: Saturday and Sunday

Entry: From £4

You’ll want to set your early-morning alarm for this antiques
market at Kempton Park Racecourse; it winds up not long after
midday and, in all likelihood, the best finds will have been
snapped up a few hours prior. It’s one of the UK’s longest-running
of its kind and perhaps the most diverse too, with worldly
antiques, 20th-century paraphernalia and offerings from
stallholders that hail from Europe, America and the Far East. Like
this? Check out sister even Sandown Antiques Home & Interiors
Fairs.

When: Twice monthly, every second and last
Tuesday (except December)

Entry: Free