In Whitechapel, a narrow passageway known today as Old Castle Street has a rich history dating back to the 17th century. This thoroughfare, initially unnamed, first appeared on maps in 1676, linking Castle Street with Whitechapel High Street. Over time, it acquired various monikers, including ‘Moses and Aaron Alley’ in the mid-18th century and ‘Castle Court’ by 1830, before settling on ‘Castle Alley’ around the mid-1800s.
The alley’s character was shaped by its surroundings. To the west stood warehouses and the Whitechapel Wash House, erected between 1846 and 1851. The eastern side featured smaller dwellings. Access from Whitechapel High Street was through a narrow, covered archway, a feature that would later prompt calls for improvement.
In 1873, the Old Castle Street Board School was built at the sharp bend where the alley met Old Castle Street. Three years later, plans were made to widen the alley’s narrowest section as part of a slum clearance initiative known as the Cross Act.
The area gained notoriety in 1889 when it became the scene of a Jack the Ripper murder. Alice McKenzie’s body was discovered by PC Walter Andrews in the early hours of 17 July, lying near market traders’ carts on the alley’s western side.
This grim event spurred changes. By 1890, buildings on the eastern side at the High Street junction were torn down. However, concerns about the alley’s narrow entrance persisted until about 1908, when it was finally widened properly.
The alley’s evolution continued into the 20th century. It was absorbed into Old Castle Street by 1916. The 1930s saw further changes, with the Board School making way for Herbert House, a block of LCC flats. Meanwhile, the Brooke Bond tea company constructed a walkway across the street, connecting their warehouses.
Post-war redevelopment transformed the area significantly. Between 1965 and 1971, the New Holland estate rose from the ashes of war damage, comprising Bradbury House, Ladbroke House and Denning Point. This development reshaped the local street layout, with Pommell Way created to link Old Castle Street directly to Commercial Street.
The street’s industrial heritage lives on in a new guise. The former Wash Houses now house part of London Metropolitan University’s Women’s Library, following redevelopment in 1998 and the library’s opening in 2002.
