Dirty Old London  published by
Yale University Press (October 2014)

Tuesday 30 September 2014

Limehouse

A walk pretty much directly westwards from the junction of Burdett Road and Commercial Road, through old Limehouse ... beginning with the church of St. Anne's ...


Nothing special, just some period detail on the East India Dock Road ...


Again, some nice detail on Brickfield Street (i.e. there were once fields here, where they dug up the clay for bricks - perhaps including these very bricks) ...


Amoy Place, an alley behind the police station, with some very thin Egyptian-style bollards ...


Graffiti ...


Two of those lovely S shaped things that hold buildings together ...


Side wall of the police station, probably 1930s building, extensive projecting brick decoration ...


Dragons, a brief nod to Limehouse's (brief) Chinese history? ...


Maritime history to this ?wholesalers? building ...


The Passmore Edwards Sailors' Palace ...




Slightly run-down but nicely designed ?1860s?1870s? pub ...

Abandoned warehouse buildings ...


The old town hall, c.1900, thought it was flats but it's not ... see comments below ...




The Limehouse Cut leading into Limehouse Basin ...


No sadder sight, an abandoned Passmore Edwards Library ... presumably now destined for flats ...



Christ figure on the back of church ...


Unusual filling-in between girders on railway bridge, with bricks! ...

A rather ruined street lamp under that bridge; I think the pigeons got to it before the nails were added ...


Another under-bridge abandoned lamp ...


A water fountain and cattle-trough, erected by a sister to honour her dead brothers ...


Ominous for the neighbours, presumably ...


Limehouse Basin ...


Nice 19C doorway ...


Another abandoned under-bridge light fitting ...


Callegari's Restaurant ...


Deserted Fishmongers ...



Commercial Cars in very bad attempt at Tudorbethan style ...


Odd shops ...


Methodist mission, now flats ...


Abandoned pub ...


Railings galore in Albert Gardens ...



Spiky tree thing ...


Not terribly jubilant ...


And a lost sign from Jewish Whitechapel, a bit down the road ...


5 comments:

  1. Very evocative of lost times. Mixed feelings - glad that so much remains, sad that so much is gone or derelict.

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  2. Interesting pictures.Thank you.I do a blog called londonspast and find I am having to travel further and further out to find the London that I grew up with.The London that I knew is fast disappearing and being replaced by ever taller eyesores to house the well heeled!Have been trying to find out who owned the Callegaris restaurant on Commercial Rd but to no avail.Could it be 1930's?Just guessing by the lettering.
    Anyway,loved your pictures and good luck with the book.

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    Replies
    1. Cheers - glad you like the blog. The restaurant, would love to know exactly when the sign dates from ... I'd guess 1930s-1950s but no real idea.

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  3. Just a small comment regarding Limehouse Town Hall - I'm not sure where you got your information from, but the Town Hall has been home to community charities, arts workers, and other socially beneficial organisations for the last 15 years. You should have buzzed one of the buzzers to find out!

    Work is currently being done to give further access to the public to this civic building, including major funding for renovations, some of which has already been carried out.

    Anyway, I would invite people to see more information at:
    www.limehousetownhall.co.uk
    www.stitchesintime.org.uk
    www.fabricworkslondon.org

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