Every Ancient Market stall is shut 10 to 18 October while fire-damaged stalls are made safe and cleared. No pitch fees; shops round the square stay open.

Every stall in Kingston’s Ancient Market is closed from Saturday 10 October to Sunday 18 October. The council says inspections on Friday found “a number of further safety concerns” at the site of last Tuesday’s fire.

The nine days will be used for repair work and to prepare for the demolition of the stalls the fire damaged. The clean-up of the square will start in the same period. That is from the council’s statement on the fire, updated at 5.26pm on Friday 9 October.

The closure comes a day after some traders had started again. On Thursday morning the council said stallholders outside the cordon could open, and the council leader said he was “really pleased that the market is reopening”.

What the council has decided

  • All market stalls are closed from Saturday 10 to Sunday 18 October.
  • Shops and businesses around the edge of the square that were not hit by the fire are open as normal.
  • Traders pay no pitch fees while they cannot trade.
  • The council and the market operator, Between the Bridges, are “urgently working through options” to make up some of the traders’ lost earnings.
  • The council is “urgently working to find temporary locations” for traders whose stalls were destroyed.

The council has not said whether the market reopens on Monday 19 October. It has not said how many stalls will be demolished, or where any temporary pitches would be.

What the council leader said

Andreas Kirsch, the leader of Kingston Council, said: “We understand how hard this is for traders but the safety of everyone who uses the market is our priority and we will take every precaution necessary.”

He said the closure “gives us time to address the additional safety issues at the same time as removing the damaged stalls and beginning clean up of the area”.

“We’re working as hard as we can to get the market open again safely as soon as possible,” he said.

What we know about the fire

London Fire Brigade took the first of six calls about the fire at 4.33am on Tuesday 6 October. Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were sent, and the fire was out by 6.08am. No one was hurt.

The brigade updated its incident report on Wednesday afternoon. It now says the cause “is believed to have been accidental and remains under investigation”. The report names no source of the fire. Our first report has the full timeline of the morning.

What it means for you

  • Do not travel in for the market stalls before Monday 19 October. None of them will be trading. We will update this page when the council or the operator confirms a reopening date.
  • The shops around Market Place are open. The council says businesses on the edge of the square that the fire did not reach are trading normally.
  • Expect work in the square this week. Demolition of the damaged stalls and the clean-up are being prepared. Allow time if you cut through between Clarence Street and the river.
  • If you want to support the traders, the operator’s Kingston Market site is where it posts news. It has not yet set up a fund or published a list of where stallholders are trading in the meantime.
  • The Christmas market is still listed for 12 November to 3 January on its own site, checked on 11 October. The organiser has said nothing about the fire. Our Christmas market page has the hours.
  • Looking for a market next weekend? Surbiton Farmers’ Market runs on Maple Road on Saturday 17 October, 9am to 1pm (Surbiton Farmers’ Market).

For other things on in town, see what’s on in Kingston this month and our roadworks and travel page.