Markets are full of colour, character and local flavour. But many can be hard to access. Often set under train arches, in car parks or along narrow streets, they can be tricky to navigate if you have mobility needs.
Rough Guides have picked some of the best markets for people with disabilities around the country. Each of these markets has good access and facilities, and they’re fun to visit too!
We know that getting there matters just as much as what’s waiting for you. For many people, having the right transport can make the difference between staying at home and enjoying a great day out. That’s where the Motability Scheme can help, supporting disabled people to travel with confidence.
The Southwest: Bath Guildhall Market
In the centre of beautiful, historic Bath, the Guildhall Market is the city’s oldest shopping area. Market traders have sold their wares on this site for more than 800 years. The current building dates from the nineteenth century, and is a warren of independent stall holders selling local produce, sweets, food, textiles, cheese, and just about anything else you can think of, beneath a huge domed roof.
There is flat access to the market from the High Street and the building has a smooth flagstone floor, so there is wheelchair access to all parts of the market. There is limited Blue Badge parking just outside the Guildhall, and more spaces in the nearby car park.
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 8am to 5pm. Shops have their own opening hours.
Telephone: 01225 460808
Salisbury Charter Market
One of country’s oldest markets, Salisbury Charter Market is a lively colourful affair that has been held in the Market Place in the centre of Salisbury since 1219.
Stallholders sell local produce, homemade cakes, bread, pies, jams and chutneys, fresh fruit, flowers and vegetables, locally made cheeses and fish caught from the nearby Dorset coast. There are plenty of street-food stalls too, so if you fancy a coffee, a hog roast or a paella, you’re sure to find it here.
Because the square covers a large area and is flat, it’s very easy to access in a wheelchair, and there’s plenty of space between the stalls. Toilets with disabled facilities are found in Market Place itself and there’s disabled parking nearby.
Opening hours: Tuesday, 8.30am to 3pm and Saturday, 8.30am to 4pm.
Telephone: 01722342860
Remember, places like this are much easier to enjoy when travel is one less thing to worry about. With a car, scooter or powered wheelchair through the Motability Scheme, visiting historic town centres and local markets can feel more relaxed and manageable.
The Southeast: Oxford Covered Market
Dating from 1774, the quirky Oxford Covered Market is located in a grade II-listed building, filled with local stalls, cafés and shops. The traders here include a hat shop, cheese shop, pie shop and cake shop, not to mention a micro-pub, Thai stall and souvlaki stall.
The market has it’s own helpful accessibility guide. several entrances with flat step-free or ramped access. Most of the shops inside the market have flat access and the walkways between stalls are wide enough for wheelchairs, though you’ll need to look out for the odd sign or portable display. Powered scooters are allowed in the market, and there’s a disabled RADAR toilet nearby. Find out more about Radar keys and how you could get one.
Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday 8am to 5.30pm, Thursday to Saturday 8am to 10pm and Sunday 8am to 5pm.
Contact the market via the form on their website.
Whether you’re staying local or travelling a little further, planning an accessible day out often starts with reliable transport. Explore top tips for using public transport with a powered wheelchair or scooter or for getting around with a less-apparent disability.
The Midlands: Old Market Square, Nottingham
Nottingham’s Old Market Square is home to Christmas markets, international markets, farmers markets and various other markets and events throughout the year, including being transformed into a beach in summer, and a Christmas wonderland in winter.
The UK’s second-largest public space after Trafalgar Square, it’s an open pedestrianized square with good disabled access and plenty of room for wheelchairs to manoeuvre and for those with mobility issues.
There are Blue Badge parking spaces just off the market square on Angel Row and Friar Lane.
For the latest information and guide to what’s on, check the Visit Nottinghamshire website.
Telephone: 0115 876 2970
Email: Via their website.
Wales: Abergavenny Market
A food market has been held at Abergavenny Market since the thirteenth century, and is known for its top-quality local food produce as well as having plenty of antique stalls and arts and crafts fairs.
The market also hosts other events such as a flea market selling bric-a-brac on Wednesdays, a farmers’ market every fourth Thursday of the month and a craft fair every second Saturday of the month between March and December.
The market entrance is at street level with dropped kerbs, and the aisles between stalls are wide enough for wheelchairs and powered scooters to manoeuvre easily.
Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 8am to 4pm.
Telephone: 01873 735811
Email: Via their website
The Northwest: The Baltic Market, Liverpool
Inside the iconic former Cairns Brewery in Liverpool’s trendy Baltic district, Baltic Market has surprisingly good accessibility. It’s home to stalls selling a huge variety of tasty street dishes from around the world. Here you can tuck into just about everything from vegan junk food and Spanish tapas to Canadian poutine and Korean katsu curry. Yum!
Although the market gets busy, it’s in a large, light and airy building with plenty of (moveable) benches and low tables to sit at, once you’ve chosen your food. The concrete floor is flat and smooth and there’s ramp access and disabled toilets on site.
Opening times: Wednesday 5pm to 10pm, Thursday 5pm to 10pm, Friday 12pm to 11pm, Saturday 11am to 11pm and Sunday 11am to 9pm.
Email: hello@balticmarket.co.uk
Busy markets can be full of energy, but comfort and confidence still matter. Many people find reassurance in knowing their vehicle comes with the Motability Scheme’s all-inclusive package when heading to popular destinations.
Scotland: Edinburgh Farmers’ market
Open-air stalls, a level surface and a backdrop of Edinburgh Castle make this market a great place to visit. Located on Edinburgh’s Castle Terrace, this weekly farmers’ market boasts around 35 stallholders selling local food and produce, much of it home-grown or made. Stalls sell pretty much everything foodie, from local cheese, fish, game and eggs to homemade porridge, sausage rolls and Venezuelan street food!
There’s plenty of room to access the stalls, and Blue Badge parking nearby, though the disabled toilets are down a series of ramps on the ground floor of the nearby car park.
Opening times: Saturday, 9am to 2pm
London: Camden Market and the Pirate Prince canal boat
Camden Market is a maze of crowded, narrow alleyways, cobbled floor and stalls crammed together make it very difficult to access in a wheelchair.
According to their website, Hawley Wharf has step-free access and lifts to all floors. Hawley Wharf also has a Changing Places toilet. Much of Stables and Lock is step-free, however due to the historic listed buildings and cobbles, it can be harder to navigate with uneven floors. If you would like any specific info please drop an email to trader.marketing@camdenmarket.com.
You can also get some of the vibe and buzz of the market by taking a trip on the fully accessible Pirate Prince canal boat, which leaves from alongside the market on a watery tour of the city’s canals. The boat is fully kitted out for those with disabilities, with a disabled wet room, wheelchair lifts and even specially adapted steering so everyone can have a go at driving the boat.
Opening times: Monday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm
Borough Market
Tucked beneath railway arches, Borough Market is the UK’s biggest and best-known food market. It has hundreds of stalls selling homemade and homegrown produce, plus stalls dishing out street food from all over the world. It’s a paradise for foodies and the smells and sounds of this bustling market make it a lively and atmospheric place to sample food of every kind.
The market itself is all on one level with no steps, and is fully wheelchair accessible, with communal seating in two sections, plus disabled toilets in four locations. However, it’s worth noting that the market can get very crowded and some parts of the floor have cobbles, with some areas accessible only via narrow passageways.
Opening times: Tuesday to Friday 10am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm
Email: info@boroughmarket.org.uk
Spitalfields Market
Now one of London’s trendiest spaces, Spitalfields Market had a makeover in the early part of the century, and now has excellent access and good facilities for those with mobility issues.
Home to fashionable shops, cafés, street-food traders, restaurants and market stalls, it’s a great place to buy independent and local arts, crafts and jewellery, as well as sample some innovative and tasty food.
There are several entrances to the market building, all with level or gently sloping access, and there’s plenty of room between the stalls for wheelchairs and powered scooters. There are accessible toilets on-site and Blue Badge parking in nearby Commercial Street.
Opening times: Monday to Friday 8am to 11pm and weekends 9am to 11pm.
Could the Motability Scheme help you?
The Motability Scheme helps many disabled people and their families stay mobile. If you get a qualifying mobility allowance, you may be able to lease a brand-new car, scooter or powered wheelchair by exchanging your allowance.
The Scheme includes insurance, servicing, repairs and breakdown cover, all in one package.
This article was reviewed and fact-checked by our in-house experts in January 2026.
Image credits
Rough Guides would like to thank the following individuals, companies and picture libraries for their kind permission to reproduce their photographs (in order of appearance on the web page):
All images: © iStock
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