The Covered Market was officially opened on 1 November 1774 and was started in response to a general wish to clear 'untidy, messy and unsavoury stalls' from the main streets of central Oxford. John Gwynn, the architect of Magdalen Bridge, drew up the plans and designed the High Street front with its four entrances.
Today the covered market is still home to numerous traders, around half of which are food retailers, including traditional market shops selling fresh food such as greengrocers and butchers (including some who produce the distinctive, local Oxford sausage). There are also newer gift shops, bakeries and sandwich shops. Most of the shops now are quite a bit larger than the original stall sizes, and so the number of businesses in the covered market is smaller than in the past. It is a bustling area, especially on Saturdays.
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