The start of the 2012 Olympics have really shone a spotlight on the East End of London and people are flocking eastwards to soak in the atmosphere and involve themselves in the excitement.
You can get a fantastic view of the Olympic village from the viewing gallery at John Lewis in Stratford’s Westfield Centre, albeit they have recently taken to charging £2 for the honour!
On a note closer to our tour route it was at 4 Church Street, now Fournier Street in Spitalfields that England’s first mahogany staircase was installed in 1726 in the house that local carpenter Marmaduke Smith had built for himself.
Spitalfields was famous for its silks and there are several reminders of this in the area. Most notably it was at 14 Church Street that the Queen Victoria’s coronation ground was woven.
One of the oldest “residents” of Spitalfieds can still be viewed in the Museum of London’s Roman Gallery. The remains of an, evidently, high class Roman lady were discovered during excavations in Spitalfields in 1999. She was entombed within a stone sarcophagus and lead coffin. Several other burials were also discovered in the vicinity.
There are plenty of truly fascinating things to see in the East End of London and, in the coming weeks, we will be offering insights into the East End of London that, we hope, will show you what a fantastic area it is to visit with plenty of must-do things.
So please be sure to check back regularly as you will, hopefully, discover a whole new side to the East End of London.