I ventured out to the Sunbury Antiques Market with two wonderful ladies ~ one being a previous “buyer” for a store specializing in antiques. Good thing because I know very little about antiques & vintage items. I was in awe of her knowledge and learned a lot just by listening to her talk to the vendors.
Leslie and Sonja
Sunbury Antiques Market is located at Kempton Park Racetrack and takes place on the 2nd and last Tuesday of the month. The doors open at 6:30 am and close at 2 pm. I would highly recommend arriving as early as possible as there are lots of buyers including those buying for the shops in London. Admission and parking are free. Bring cash ~ the ATM was bone dry by noon.
I have to admit, I was overwhelmed by all the furniture, crockery, china, glassware, kitchen items, lamps, rugs, fabric, jewelry, vintage luggage trunks, taxidermy (ugh!) and so much more. My favorites seem to be the French and Belgian vendors ~ I love the French Farmhouse style. There are rows and rows of vendors both outside and inside. According to the Sunbury Market website , 700 vendors populate the market and, after all we saw, I’m inclined to believe it.
Sunbury Antiques Market
Some of the vendors at Sunbury Antiques Market
The market is located between Hampton Court and Staines. The train from Waterloo (London) to Kempton Park Station takes 44 minutes and it’s an easy walk from the station to the market. Delivery men are available for hire and will transport your furniture/large purchases to London for a minimum of £50. One woman filled up an entire van with furniture and they charged her £100 to deliver all of it.
Although I saw several furniture pieces I’d love to have, such as the 1950’s coffee table and sideboard (all made of solid wood and in great condition), I ended up with just a couple of small pieces. My favorite purchase is the vintage tennis racquet from the 1960s (maybe 70s).
While no one will be hiring me to host “Antiques Road Show”, I do feel more comfortable about shopping at these types of markets. Next time, I might even try to bargain a little.
Displaced Beachbums 
Absolutely love the blog and Sunbury Market. I was in France a couple of years ago and found an old 1992 magazine which listed Sunbury Market. My friend and I went on the computer and to our delight it was still going. We went with our car load from France and my friend said, don’t you dare buy anything large as we don’t have room. First thing I saw was a shelley teaset and dinner set which I could not resist and bought it back to Florida where I live. I am originally from the UK but love going back. To me there is no place like the UK. I fell in love with Mumbles which I stumbled upon on the internet and rented a cottage there for six months. Now planning on moving back to Wales permanently and cannot wait. Going to be at the Sunbury market in Sept if I can get a good rate on air fares.
The Brit
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Thanks so much for your comment! Lucky you going back to Sunbury in September ~ hope you find lots of fun items. Good luck with your move to Wales. Sounds like a fabulous adventure.
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Hi Beachbum(s) –
I’m a friend of Stacy Price – who routed me to your travel blog. Fun read! Wish I could retain that much information from a museum visit. It all goes in – but never hangs out in my brain long enough to regurgitate. Thanks for sharing your adventures!
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Hi Melinda ~ thanks for stopping by my blog. Hi to Stacy next time you see her. I’m trying to talk her into visiting London while I’m here.
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I will be in London in April and appreciate your extensive information about Sunbury,. After checking my dates I’m disappointed it will not be open when I am there.
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Thanks for stopping by my blog. Sorry to hear your dates in London don’t coincide with the Sunbury Market. It’s a wonderful shopping experience.
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Cool blog, and postings. Nice to read about all the awesome things you have found. Nice to read a blog by someone in England.
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Thanks for you nice comment ~ happy to hear you like my blog. I’m only here in London for another 6 months so I’m attempting to see as much as possible.
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