Brabantse Turfmarkt (Brabant Peat Market), Delft

The Brabant Peat Market can be found just off the Old Canal which runs north to south in the city of Delft. The street merges into the street Achterom which connects to the Old Canal and the little harbor of Kolk. The Old Canal was dug around 1100 AD. It formed the eastern boundary of the city in the 13th century.

Products, produce and peat could be brought into the city by flat bottomed boats powered by poles. Peat was a vital fuel. It burned slowly, giving off little exhaust gasses. It was the power fuel of Delft industries from the 15th to the 19th centuries.

The northern parts of the Peat Market and the Burgwal Canal were filled in 1860 to accommodate the enlarged Animal Market.

These days one cannot get peat at the Peat Market but nearly everything else is available. Thursdays and Saturdays are market days at Brabant Peat Market. Flowers, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, clothing and household goods are plentiful and so are the crowds.