By the mid-19th century, the Metropolitan Board of Works established the Roman Road, formalizing the ancient Driftway into a vital thoroughfare.

Additionally, the road has been a hub for political radicalism, with noted socialists and public meetings emphasizing the community's engagement in social debates and reforms.

The evolution of housing along the Roman Road, from Victorian terraces to modern estates, reflects broader social changes and challenges in urban development and community building.

The Roman Road Market dates back to at least 1843, and along with the surrounding shops and public spaces, continues to be a part of local life.

There were many home grown suffragettes such as Mrs Savoy, a brushmaker, who was one of the Deputation of East End women to Downing Street in 1914.

'[5] A few weeks later, the press reported 'The Battle of Bow' in which a police officer was charged for assaulting a labourer supporting a Suffragette demonstration.

[6] In 1887, social researcher and philanthropist Charles Booth toured the area with a policeman and reported 'Beale Road is a hotbed of socialists.

'[7] And from the number of public meetings reported in the East London Advertiser and Daily Herald, many local people attended were actively involved in political debate.

Bow Baths provided a meeting and entertainment venue with concerts and variety shows competing, and often combining with, political rallies.

Regular Sunday evening lectures had speakers including Sylvia Pankhurst, George Lansbury (who lived round the corner in St Stephens Road) and Ben Tillett on topics ranging from war and peace, the right to vote to the Welsh Miners Strike of 1914[10] Bow Baths was badly bomb damaged during WW2 and never re-opened.

[11] The stone was laid by John Passmore Edwards, a journalist, newspaper owner and philanthropist, who gave £4000 to build the library.

The original red brick and stone building is Grade II listed, including the 'Macullum Clock', so named after an eastend philanthropist and member of the Bow and Bromley Liberal and Radical Association.

The new arrangement still didn't meet modern needs an so a brand new library was built on an old Council Estate car park in William Place opening in 1998.

This building is in Bow and incorporated community facilities, notably a GP surgery and is now St Stephen's Health Centre.

St Paul's received a £3million Lottery grant for renovation work to include a café, community gym, exhibition and meeting space, completed in 2003.

The St. Paul's Church refurbishment by Shoreditch architects Matthew Lloyd was shortlisted for the biennial award for Religious Architecture in 2008 run jointly by ACE and RIBA.

The Commendation recognised the spectacular design of a four-storey steel framed structure, dubbed 'the ark' inserted within the west end of the church.

[13] Many of the key figures in the early grime scene, such as Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Tinchy Stryder and Mercston all grew up around Roman Road.

Record store Rhythm Division,[14] which was located at 391 Roman Road, served as a key community hub for both developing and established Grime MCs during this time.

[16] In a 2014 article with the Guardian,[17] Wiley, dubbed the ‘godfather of grime’,[18] attributed Roman Road's liveliness and the role it played in developing Grime, saying ‘it had that street market culture, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday – it was the nurturer, it all has something to do with the Dizzees and Wileys coming through.’ The Roman Road was lined with streets of Victorian housing of mixed size and quality.

A few had servants and their own stables, while others had multiple occupants and very poor conditions such as Victoria Cottages – two roomed back-to-back houses just off the Roman Road.

Cranbrook officially opened in 1964 with 530 dwellings contained in blocks named after towns twinned with Bethnal Green and after demolished streets.

Not only did the older ones need refurbishment but the newer were plagued by vandalism in tower blocks, or by defects which were present in 69 per cent of flats on Lanfranc estate, for example, in 1978.

As roads were built, housing, trades and manufacturing, most famously the Bryant and May Match Factory, developed quickly.

A main shopping street evolved and the Roman Road Market which grew probably as early as 1843 in Stratford-at-Bow,[4] when it was illegal 'but withstood several attempts to close it down'.