Totty Street, E3
W.J. Thomas store on corner of Roman Road and Totty Street (1953)
Credit: London Metropolitan Archives
Totty Street was a former road of the area.

In the early 1850s the area west of Grove Road was divided into plots, the purchasers including W. S. Bowen, who from 1852 built Totty Street.

In November 1944, a V2 rocket targeted Lessada Street, causing significant destruction and leaving many people homeless. The Palm Tree pub stood as a surviving landmark amidst the devastation.

To address the urgent housing shortage resulting from this and similar tragedies, the Housing Act of 1944 was enacted. This legislation granted the government the authority to allocate £150 million for the construction of temporary accommodation. Prefabricated housing became the solution of choice, with factory-built units quickly assembled on-site.

13 prefabs were erected here with more either side in Lassada Street and Grove Road.

Mile End Park occupies its site today.

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