A unique piece of London, cradle of design talent, heartland of the capital's music scene, multicultural melting pot, Camden Lock is the world's most famous market. The Lock started life as a collection of craft units housed in Victorian horse stables in a run-down timber wharf on the banks of the Regent's Canal. Today an industrial dead zone has been transformed into London's second most popular free attraction after the British Museum. The story of Camden Lock is one of dereliction and rejuvenation. Careers have started - and ended - at the Lock. Fortunes have been made, and lost, overnight. Craftspeople have become internationally known artists. Struggling stallholders have built up fashion empires. Caitlin Davies tells all these stories and more in an illustrated history full of personal memories and previously unpublished archive images.

'This is a bright, colourful publication about a bright, colourful canalside attraction. Well-written and beautifully illustrated if you're interested in learning more about the north London site, or if you are planning a visit and want to carry out some prior research, this book should provide you with all you need.' Waterways World 'Davies manages a cast of key characters who she weaves throughout the book to illustrate the changes in the area. From internationally famous names such as Wayne Hemingway to more local legends such as June Carroll, who opened the first food outlet at the market, Davies blends together their own history and anecdotes with a traditional linear explanation of what was happening and when and where. She highlights the music, fashion, crafts and food, and with over150 archive images, so even if somehow you've never been, it's easy to transport yourself through time to what was a 'hippy haven', 'cradle of design', 'multi-cultural melting pot' and an urban outlier in terms of how to regenerate an area, providing employment and opportunities for all.' The Kentishtowner 'A story of blood, sweat and tears.' Travel GBI 'Full of both character and characters...If you know the market well, and witnessed much of its short but eventful history, you will savour every sentence, and simply must buy this book.' The Londonist 'Lovely archival photography of Camden denizens throughout the years... Anyone with fond memories of the market will enjoy the results.' Amateur Photographer

Londoner CAITLIN DAVIES is a writer, teacher and journalist. She is the author of three non-fiction books, four novels and several short stories. Her other title for Frances Lincoln is Taking the Waters (9780711232389), a book about Hampstead Ponds.