Whitechapel Road
It is named after a small chapel of ease dedicated to St Mary and connects Whitechapel High Street to the west with Mile End Road to the east in Stepney.
Towards the latter part of the 20th century, the street became an established settlement of the British Bangladeshi community, who now sell a range of authentic Asian food and clothes in the market and on shop fronts.
Altab Ali Park sits on the site of the original church at the western end of Whitechapel Road, and is a memorial to an Asian worker who suffered a fatal racial attack in 1978.
[8] In the mid-19th century, drovers steered livestock from local farms along the road towards Smithfield Market, causing considerable traffic congestion.
Originally a coaching inn known as the Artichoke, it was occupied by the foundry from 1738, replacing smaller premises on the north side of the road.
It opened in March 1884 but its close proximity to both Whitechapel and Aldgate East tube stations made it superfluous, leading to its closure in April 1938.
[20] During the 1940s, the Metropolitan Police attempted to crack down on illegal gambling held in social clubs along Whitechapel Road.
69,[21] and in March 1944, a police raid uncovered unlicensed horse and dog race betting which led to the arrest of the club's owner and 21 patrons.
[22] The Albion Brewery was first established at the eastern end of Whitechapel Road in 1808 by Richard Ivory, landlord of the Blind Beggar.
[1] On 4 October 1936, British Union of Fascists leader Oswald Mosley organised an anti-Jewish parade through the East End that included passing through Whitechapel Road, but was stopped by a crowd of protesters.
[29] The sentiment against Jews in Whitechapel Road caused the community to dissolve from the 1930s onwards; the Pavilion Theatre closed and the Jewish Free School was destroyed in the Blitz during the Second World War.
The East London Mosque on Whitechapel Road was opened by Shaykh Abdullah bin Subayl in 1985 and can accommodate over 3,000 worshippers, with dedicated facilities for women.
[1] Whitechapel Market caters well for the community, with stalls stocking Asian fruit and vegetables including okra and mangoes, clothing such as tunics and pashminas, and mobile phone cards for cheap long-distance calls.
[32] A racially motivated attack on local worker Altab Ali near Whitechapel Road in May 1978 was a significant event for the local Asian community, and his life is now commemorated in Altab Ali Park at the western end of the road, which was built on the former St Mary's Church grounds.
One of the first victims was Martha Tabram, who was found with multiple stab wounds on George Yard Buildings, Whitechapel Road on 7 August 1888.
[37] The Kray Twins also used the Blackwall Buildings, by then dilapidated, as a form of punishment by locking a victim in a flat alone with Ronnie's German Shepherd dog.
[38] Whitechapel Road is the equal cheapest property location on the British version of the Monopoly game board.
