Whitechapel to Aldgate East walk

Inbound on the District/Hammersmith and City.

Whitechapel Road’s name, as well as the surrounding area, takes its origins from the original 14th-century White Chapel.

The road closely traces the path of the Roman road that once linked Londinium (London) and Camulodunum (Colchester). This Roman road also connected to the Pye Road, which led to Venta Icenorum (Caistor St. Edmund near Norwich).

Whitechapel High Street and Whitechapel Road are depicted on John Rocque’s Map of London from 1746, both marked as “White Chapel.” John Cary’s “Environs of London” map from 1795 (published in his New Itinerary of 1798) shows properties on both sides of the road. By the ninth edition of this map in 1821, the road is illustrated as extensively developed. In the mid-19th century, drovers used the road to guide livestock from local farms to Smithfield Market, leading to significant traffic congestion. By the 1870s, the road had seen extensive development with properties lining its entire length.

We join the road at Whitechapel station but beyond this point, the road transforms into Mile End Road, marking the site of the former toll gate known as Mile End Gate.

Behind the Blind Beggar, The Albion Brewery was founded at the eastern end of Whitechapel Road in 1808 by Richard Ivory, landlord of the Blind Beggar. It was rebuilt in 1860 and produced an average of 133,000 barrels of beer annually before closing in 1979.

The Eastern District Post Office, located at the eastern end of Whitechapel Road on the south side, corner of Cavell Street, served as the eastern terminus for the former London Post Office Railway, colloquially known as the “Mail Rail,” which facilitated fast mail transfers across London. It ceased operations in 2003.

Whitechapel station stands on the north side of the road, adjacent to the street market. Behind the tube station, the former site of Blackwall Buildings, a set of philanthropic houses built in 1890, can be found. Just east of the market are almshouses at Trinity House, originally constructed in 1695 for retired seamen.

Opposite to the south is the former Royal London Hospital building, constructed in 1740. Although it sustained significant damage during World War II, much of its 18th and 19th-century architecture remains. A new building now stands adjacent to the original structure.

Beyond Whitechapel station, the Pavilion Theatre, located at Nos. 191–193 Whitechapel Road (north side), was established in 1828 on the site of a former clothing factory. It was the first major theatre in the East End of London. A fire in 1856 destroyed the original building, which was replaced by a larger theatre capable of accommodating over 1,000 people. It became the centre of Yiddish theatre in Britain but closed in 1934.

The former site of St. Mary’s (Whitechapel Road) tube station is opposite Davenant Street (south side). It opened in March 1884 but closed in April 1938 due to its proximity to Whitechapel and Aldgate East tube stations.

One notable landmark was the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, a prominent supplier of church bells in Britain. It was situated at 32–34 Whitechapel Road beyond Fieldgate Street on the south side until its closure in 2017. The buildings, dating back to 1670, were Grade II listed. Originally known as the Artichoke, it became the foundry’s location from 1738, replacing smaller premises on the north side of the road.

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