Residential block
.26, E1 A street within the E1 postcode .37, E1 A street within the E1 postcode Adler Street, E1 Adler Street runs between the Whitechapel Road and the Commercial Road. Aldgate High Street, EC3N Once the route to one of the six original gates of the Wall of London, Aldgate High Street has an important place in medieval London’s history. Alie Street, E1 Originally called Ayliff Street, Alie Street was named after a relative of William Leman, whose great-uncle, John Leman had bought Goodman’s Fields. America Square, EC3N America Square is a street and small square, built in about 1760 and dedicated to the American colonies. Angel Alley, E1 Angel Alley was a narrow passage which ran north-south from Wentworth Street to Whitechapel High Street.. Arcadia Court, E1 Arcadia Court is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Asher Way, E1W Asher Way is one of the streets of London in the E1W postal area. Assam Street, E1 Assam Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Bacon Street, E1 Bacon Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Bacon Street, E2 Bacon Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Barnet Grove, E2 Barnet Grove is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Batty Street, E1 Batty Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Bell Lane, E1 Bell Lane is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Black Lion Yard, E1 Black Lion Yard was a narrow thoroughfare running north-south from Old Montague Street (where it was accessible via a set of steps) to Whitechapel Road. Bowmans Mews, E1 Bowmans Mews is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Braham Street, E1 Braham Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Breezer’s Hill, E1W Breezer’s Hill is a short, narrow hill running between The Highway (formerly Ratcliffe Highway and St. George Street) and Pennington Street. Brick Lane, E1 Brick Lane runs north from the junction of Osborn Street, Old Montague Street and Wentworth Street, through Spitalfields to Bethnal Green Road. Brick Lane, E2 The northernmost section of Brick Lane lies within the E2 postcode. Brune Street, E1 Brune Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Buckle Street, E1 Buckle Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Burr Close, E1W Burr Close is one of the streets of London in the E1W postal area. Buxton Street, E1 Buxton Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Calvin Street, E1 Calvin Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Chamber Street, E1 Chamber Street is a thoroughfare running east-west from Leman Street to Mansell Street. Chance Street, E1 Chance Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Cheshire Street, E2 Cheshire Street is a street in the East End linking Brick Lane with Bethnal Green and Whitechapel. Club Row, E1 Club Row is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Club Row, E2 Club Row leaves Arnold Circus in a southerly direction. Coate Street, E2 Coate Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Cobb Street, E1 Cobb Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Code Street, E1 Code Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. College East, E1 College East is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Columbia Road, E2 Columbia Road is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Commercial Street, E1 Commercial Street is a major thoroughfare running north-south from Shoreditch High Street to Whitechapel High Street. Corbet Place, E1 Corbet Place is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Cremer Street, E2 Cremer Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Crescent, EC3N Crescent is one of the streets of London in the EC3N postal area. Cresent, EC3N Cresent is one of the streets of London in the EC3N postal area. Crispin Place, E1 Crispin Place is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Deal Street, E1 Deal Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Diss Street, E2 Diss Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Dock Street, E1 Dock Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Dorset Street, E1 Dorset Street was a small thoroughfare running east-west from Crispin Street to Commercial Street. Dray Walk, E1 Dray Walk is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Dunloe Street, E2 Dunloe Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Durant Street, E2 Durant Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Ensign Street, E1 Ensign Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Ezra Street, E2 Ezra Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Fashion Street, E1 Fashion Street is a thoroughfare running east-west from Brick Lane to Commercial Street. Fournier Street, E1 Fournier Street is a street running east-west from Brick Lane to Commercial Street alongside Christ Church. George Street, E1 George Street was a street running north-south from Flower and Dean Street to Wentworth Street, crossing Thrawl Street approx. half way along its length.. Gosset Street, E2 Gosset Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Goulston Street, E1 Goulston Street is a thoroughfare running north-south from Wentworth Street to Whitechapel High Street. Gowers Walk, E1 Gowers Walk is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Granby Street, E2 Granby Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Hackney Road, E2 Hackney Road is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Hague Street, E2 Hague Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Hanbury Street, E1 Hanbury Street is a long road running west-east from Commercial Street to Vallance Road. Hessel Street, E1 Hessel Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Hocker Street, E2 Hocker Street, like the other seven roads radiating from Arnold Circus commemorate the Huguenot connection with the area. Hooper Street, E1 Hooper Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Hunton Street, E1 Hunton Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Ivimey Street, E2 Ivimey Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Kelsey Street, E2 Kelsey Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Kent and Essex Yard, E1 Kent and Essex Yard ran north of Whitechapel High Street, close to the west side of Commercial Street. Lamb Street, E1 Lamb Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Leyden Street, E1 Leyden Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Lolesworth Close, E1 Lolesworth Close is a short cul-de-sac on the east side of Commercial Street which was originally the western extremity of Flower and Dean Street. Long Street, E2 Long Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Minories, EC3N Minories is one of the old streets of the City of London. Myrdle Street, E1 Myrdle Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Navarre Street, E2 Navarre Street leads southwest from Arnold Circus towards Boundary Street. New Road, E1 New Road is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Old Castle Street, E1 Old Castle Street runs north-south from Wentworth Street to Whitechapel High Street, the southern section of which incorporates the former Castle Alley, murder site of Ripper victim Alice McKenzie. Old Montague Street, E1 Old Montague Street is a thoroughfare running east-west from Baker’s Row (now Vallance Road) to Brick Lane. Osborn Street, E1 Osborn Street is a short road leading from Whitechapel Road to the crossroads with Brick Lane, Wentworth Street and Old Montague Street. Padbury Court, E2 Padbury Court is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Pedley Street, E1 Pedley Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Plumbers Row, E1 Plumbers Row is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Pollard Row, E2 Pollard Row runs north from Florida Street in Bethnal Green. Puma Court, E1 Puma Court is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Quaker Street, E1 Quaker Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Selby Street, E1 Selby Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Strouts Place, E2 Strouts Place is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Tea Building, E1 Tea Building is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Teesdale Yard, E2 Teesdale Yard is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Thrawl Street, E1 Originally built by Henry Thrall (or Thrale) c.1656, Thrawl Street ran east-west from Brick Lane as far as George Street across a former tenter field owned by the Fossan brothers, Thomas and Lewis. Tower Bridge, E1W Tower Bridge is one of the streets of London in the E1W postal area. Tower Walk, E1W Tower Walk is one of the streets of London in the E1W postal area. Turin Street, E2 Turin Street is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Vallance Road, E1 Vallance Road is a significant road running north-south from Bethnal Green Road to Whitechapel Road. Vallance Road, E2 Vallance Road is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Vaughan Way, E1W Vaughan Way is one of the streets of London in the E1W postal area. Vine Court, E1 Vine Court is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Vine Street, EC3N Vine Street is one of the streets of London in the EC3N postal area. Virginia Road, E2 Virginia Road is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Warner Place, E2 Warner Place is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area. Weaver Street, E1 Weaver Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Wellclose Square, E1 Wellclose Square lies between Cable Street to the north and The Highway to the south. Wentworth Street, E1 Wentworth Street runs east-west from the junction of Brick Lane, Osborn Street and Old Montague Street to Middlesex Street, forming part of the boundary between Spitalfields and St Mary’s Whitechapel. Wheler Street, E1 Wheler Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Whitby Street, E1 Whitby Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Whitechapel High Street, E1 Whitechapel High Street runs approximately west-east from Aldgate High Street to Whitechapel Road and is designated as part of the A11. Whites Row, E1 White’s Row is a narrow thoroughfare running east-west from Commercial Street to Crispin Street. Wilkes Street, E1 Wilkes Street is one of the streets of London in the E1 postal area. Wood Close, E2 Wood Close is one of the streets of London in the E2 postal area.
Whitechapel is a neighbourhood whose heart is Whitechapel Road itself, named for a small chapel of ease dedicated to St Mary.By the late 1500s
Whitechapel and the surrounding area had started becoming 'other half' of London. Located downwind of the genteel sections of west London which were to see the expansion of Westminster Abbey and construction of Buckingham Palace, it naturally attracted the more fragrant activities of the city, particularly tanneries, breweries, foundries (including the
Whitechapel Bell Foundry which later cast Philadelphia's Liberty Bell and also Big Ben), slaughterhouses and, close by to the south, the gigantic Billingsgate fish market, famous in its day for the ornately foul language of the extremely Cockney fishwomen who worked there.
Population shifts from rural areas to London from the 1600s to the mid 1800s resulted in great numbers of more or less destitute people taking up residence amidst the industries and mercantile interests that had attracted them. By the 1840s
Whitechapel, along with the enclaves of Wapping, Aldgate, Bethnal Green, Mile End, Limehouse and Stepney (collectively known today as the
East End), had evolved, or devolved, into classic 'dickensian' London.
Whitechapel Road itself was not particularly squalid through most of this period - it was the warren of small dark streets branching from it that contained the greatest suffering, filth and danger, especially Dorset St., Thrawl St., Berners St. (renamed Henriques St.), Wentworth St. and others.
In the Victorian era the base population of poor English country stock was swelled by immigrants from all over, particularly Irish and Jewish. 1888 saw the depredations of the
Whitechapel Murderer, later known as 'Jack the Ripper'. In 1902, American author Jack London, looking to write a counterpart to Jacob Riis's seminal book
How the Other Half Lives, donned ragged clothes and boarded in
Whitechapel, detailing his experiences in
The People of the Abyss. Riis had recently documented the astoundingly bad conditions in the leading city of the United States. Jack London, a socialist, thought it worthwhile to explore conditions in the leading city of the nation that had created modern capitalism. He concluded that English poverty was far rougher than the American variety. The juxtaposition of the poverty, homelessness, exploitive work conditions, prostitution, and infant mortality of
Whitechapel and other East End locales with some of the greatest personal wealth the world has ever seen made it a focal point for leftist reformers of all kinds, from George Bernard Shaw, whose Fabian Society met regularly in
Whitechapel, to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, who boarded and led rallies in
Whitechapel during his exile from Russia.
Whitechapel remained poor (and colourful) through the first half of the 20th Century, though somewhat less desperately so. It suffered great damage in the V2 German rocket attacks and the Blitz of World War II. Since then,
Whitechapel has lost its notoriety, though it is still thoroughly working class. The Bangladeshis are the most visible migrant group there today and it is home to many aspiring artists and shoestring entrepreneurs.
Since the 1970s,
Whitechapel and other nearby parts of East London have figured prominently in London's art scene. Probably the most prominent art venue is the
Whitechapel Art Gallery, founded in 1901 and long an outpost of high culture in a poor neighbourhood. As the neighbourhood has gentrified, it has gained citywide, and even international, visibility and support.
Whitechapel, is a London Underground and London Overground station, on
Whitechapel Road was opened in 1876 by the East London Railway on a line connecting Liverpool Street station in the City of London with destinations south of the River Thames. The station site was expanded in 1884, and again in 1902, to accommodate the services of the Metropolitan District Railway, a predecessor of the London Underground. The London Overground section of the station was closed between 2007 and 27 April 2010 for rebuilding, initially reopening for a preview service on 27 April 2010 with the full service starting on 23 May 2010.
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