Whitechapel and the East End: the back story

About Whitechapel and the East End: the back story

By the ULTIMATE London Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

Whitechapel lies just east of the Tower and the City. For centuries it has been a place of arrival, work and markets, and its streets carry layers of London history.

Beyond the walls

Whitechapel grew outside the City walls along the road east from Aldgate, with markets, breweries and workshops.

Communities

Huguenot silk weavers settled nearby in the 17th century, Jewish families arrived in great numbers in the late 19th century, and from the 20th century Bangladeshi families made the area around Brick Lane their own. Their bakeries, synagogues, mosques and restaurants are part of its character.

The East End has always been where London’s newcomers made their start.

Victorian Whitechapel

In the Victorian era Whitechapel was among the poorest districts in London, with overcrowded housing and hard lives, especially for women. The Whitechapel Gallery and Toynbee Hall were founded to bring education and art to its people. Many walking tours tell this social history; choose one that treats the people of the time, including the victims of the crimes of 1888, with respect.

Our advice: combine the Tower of London with an afternoon in Whitechapel: the gallery, a bagel from Rinkoff and dinner at Tayyabs.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Whitechapel and the East End: the back story before you go.