The Changing Urban Geography of the Inner East End and the City of London.

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The Changing Urban Geography of the Inner East End and the City of London

Tower Hamlets have been inhabited for 2000 years, with a detailed history going back to the Roman invasion of 43AD. The world famous Tower of London stands on the River Thames on the western boundary of the borough. It dates from the reign of William the Conqueror in the 11th century and in the past 900 years it has been used as a fortress, royal palace, zoo and state prison.

Much of borough was marshland at this time. As London expanded and the pressure for development intensified, the land was gradually drained and reclaimed. A cluster of small communities was established, known locally as the hamlets around the tower - which is the origin of the borough's name.

The area's population spread south from Spitalfields and Whitechapel as works to prevent flooding of the Thames allowed many new houses and wharves to be built at Blackwall, Poplar, Shadwell and Wapping.

These areas grew as centres of shipbuilding and repair. Lime kilns to make mortar for the building industry were established, giving their name to Limehouse. The construction of Bow Bridge over the River Lee in Henry 1's reign improved access to the tide mills on the east bank.

It wasn't until the 16th century that the area really began to thrive. During that century Whitechapel was a bustling suburb of London, becoming a centre for trades, such as metalworking, brick making and tanning, not allowed in the City because of danger, noise and smell.

The dissolution of the monasteries by 1536 freed land for building and London grew rapidly. The split between east and west London became marked with the west attracting courtiers, gentry and professional classes and the east the trades, industry and commerce.

Shipbuilding spread rapidly along the riverside and became concentrated on the Isle of Dogs. Some say it was so named because Henry VIII exercised his hunting dogs there but it may well have originated from 'Isle of Docks'.

Factories and rows of terraced houses consumed the rural landscape of the 18th century, except for pockets of land saved for parks and gardens, in particular, Victoria Park, Stepney Green, Bethnal Green Gardens and Island Gardens, which remain to this day.

The maritime character of the hamlets around the Tower was transformed in appearance during the 19th century, with the building of huge warehouses and high walled docks. The West India Dock, which opened in 1802, was the first enclosed dock built on the Thames for cargo handling and within 26 years the East India, London and St. Katharine Docks were all working.

As the workshops, docks and factories of East London made a major contribution to the development of London as world trading centre, it was very much at the expense of workers who endured damaging working conditions.

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Two famous East London strikes played an important part in organising unskilled workers into unions. In 1888, Annie Besant led the match girls at Bryant and May's factory in Bow, in their fight for better conditions. The following year saw Ben Tillet, Tom Mann and John Burns lead the dockers' strike to raise wages to 5d per hour, less than 3p in today's currency.

Philanthropists of every description were drawn to the East End. Dr Barnardo trained at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel and founded his first home for orphans in Hope Place, Stepney in 1866. The first Ragged ...

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