The East End is a fascinating part of London and there are many and varied things you can do to explore its streets and buildings and which can help you really get to know the area.
In Whitechapel, you can pay a visit to the Whitechapel Gallery and really get to grips with some truly cutting edge art. If you wish to pay it a visit then you can get details on their current exhibitions on their website.
Not far from the gallery there is the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, founded in 1570 and now holding the record for being the oldest Bell manufacturer in the world. Among the famous bells cast here were Big Ben and the Liberty Bell. Visits are by tour only. For details, and to arrange a visit, you can get details here.
A little further away, on Whitechapel Road, is the London Hospital. It was here that Emma Smith, the first Whitechapel Murders victim died in April 1888. In addition, it was here that Dr Openshaw, the medic who was asked to opine on the veracity of the human kidney that was sent with the famous From Hell Letter, was based.
It was also here that Joseph Merrick, the so-called “Elephant Man” spent his last days.
At the back of the Hospital is their museum which has a fascinating display of artefacts, such as the special head cover that Joseph Merrick wore to hide his disfigurement whenever he left the confines of the hospital.
They also have a glass case in which they keep memorabilia related to the Jack the Ripper murders, including a fascimile of the From Hell letter that was sent to Mr George Lusk, and the map of Mitre Square that was drawn up for the inquest into the death of Catherine Eddowes, Jack the Ripper’s third victim.
All these things are located within walking distance of the start of our Jack The Ripper Walking Tour, so you could easily spend at least an afternoon, if not an entire day, exploring the attractions of the East End of London before joining us at Aldgate East (Exit Four) at 7pm to follow the infamous trail of he World’s most famous, or should that be infamous, serial killer.