A huge vintage market is taking over Beckenham Place Mansion this May bank holiday

Beckenham Place Mansion and a man looking through a box at a market — (Image credit: Beckenham Place Mansion)

If your ideal bank holiday involves vintage furniture, overpriced-but-delicious brownies and convincing yourself you absolutely need another vintage lamp, then good news: the Vintage Market at the Mansion is heading back to Beckenham Place Mansion on Monday, the 25th of May.

Running from 10am until 5pm, the South London market will bring together more than 50 traders selling everything from mid-century furniture and vintage fashion to records, books, posters, ceramics and antique maps.

Which means there’s a chance you’ll arrive intending to “just have a look” before leaving with a Danish sideboard and three old film posters you don't know where to put.

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The market takes over both the inside and the outside of the mansion, with plenty of French brocante, gardenalia and homeware mixed in among the usual vintage finds. Most traders also accept card payments, and some even offer local delivery for larger furniture pieces, which feels like dangerous knowledge to have.

Outside, there’ll be street food stalls alongside coffee from Beats & Grind and brownies from Slate ‘n’ Crumb, while the mansion’s own bar and café will keep serving drinks and snacks throughout the day, overlooking the park.

There’s live music too, with resident market band The Alvar Treefrogs returning to busk New Orleans jazz on the grass behind the mansion. Which honestly sounds about as bank holiday as it gets.

Visitors can also stop by the KnowHowYou sewing school on the ground floor or browse the Verso Vintage shop tucked away in the mansion's basement.

Best of all, entry is completely free. Organisers are strongly encouraging people to avoid driving if possible, mainly because the car park fills up quickly and apparently operates on the sort of payment system designed to test your emotional resilience.

Public transport is probably the safer bet, with stations like Beckenham Hill, Beckenham Junction and Ravensbourne all within walking distance.

You can find the market at Beckenham Place Mansion, BR3 1SY.

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Morgan got his start in writing by talking about his passion for gaming. He worked for sites like VideoGamer and GGRecon, knocking out guides, writing news, and conducting interviews before a brief stint as RealSport101's Managing Editor. He then went on to freelance for Radio Times before joining Shortlist as a staff writer. Morgan is still passionate about gaming and keeping up with the latest trends, but he also loves exploring his other interests, including grimy bars, soppy films, and wavey garms. All of which will undoubtedly come up at some point over a pint.