The name Artillery Lane remembers the skills of the operators of the longbow.
Henry VIII set up an artillery ground in Spitalfields - the Tasel Close Artillery Yard - to give local men a place to practice their longbow, crossbow and handgun skills. Although the ground moved in the 1650s, it is still remembered in local street names.
The first mention of Artillery Lane occurred in 1677 though it was also in early days called Berewards Lane and Hogge Lane. The eastern end was called ’Artillery Street’ by John Strype in 1720.