Limehouse

[Roy Corduroy]

Church Row today's Newell Street





You probably enjoyed this article in Spitalfields Life about the Sailors' Society. (click) A training center for boys entering the maritime trade. The buildings are circled on the 1890's Ordnance Survey.





The online Goad Plan reveals this was previously St Pelagia's Home for Destitute Girls, run by the Catholic Sisters from 1885 to before WWI. The women worked in the laundry onsite to defray the cost of free room and board, a common mode of operation for religious and charitable houses. Today these private residences are Listed buildings in the Conservation area.

[Roy Corduroy]

Hawksmoor - St Anne



Another view of the Royal Navy Ensign atop the church tower



A 1780 depiction



Aerial photo from the 1930's - the light shaded street behind the church is Burdett Road, which crosses Limehouse Cut canal

[Roy Corduroy]

Limehouse on the River Thames. Carey's Plan of 1795 shows the newly built Limehouse Cut, London's first canal. Marked here River Lea because it connected to there. Note Timber Yard which still appeared later.



The Goad Plan shows industry by the Cut, such as Forrest & Son Boat Builders and Blyth & Pascoe Timber Yard





Depiction of Forrest & Son, known for building lifeboats

[Roy Corduroy]

Across the road from St Anne's is another listed building, but in poor condition



777 Commercial Road was built in 1869 by William Cubitt & Company as a sail-makers-and-ship-chandlers warehouse. Occupied by Caird & Rayner marine engineers from 1889 to 1972

[Edward Stow]

That building has been semi derelict since at least the early 80s. I'm amazed it hasn't been refurbished for flats - it must back onto the canal.

[Edward Stow]

I overlaid some of the places mentioned in this thread on the 1930s aerial photo.

Pubs
1 Duke of York
2 Silver Tavern
3 Pigott Arms
4 The Londoner (Eastern Hotel)
5 The Star in the East

Other locations
6 Police Station
7 777 Commercial Road
8 Timber Yards
9 St Pelagia's

Blue Line - Limehouse Cut
Yellow Cross - where Emma Smith was seen by Margaret Hames
Yellow arrow - Commercial Road heading west towards Whitechapel and the City
Green arrow - Burdett Road heading north to Mile End Road

[Roy Corduroy]

Thanks for that Ed,

That building has been semi derelict since at least the early 80s. I'm amazed it hasn't been refurbished for flats - it must back onto the canal.

Yes the Caird & Rayner building (post 19) does back into Limehouse Cut canal.

[Roy Corduroy]

St Anne's is home to the Docklands Sinfonia, seen here in rehearsal.

[Roy Corduroy]

The Limehouse Church Institute, now apartments

The façade of the building to Three Colt Street is designed in deep buff-tinted terra-cotta, designed in the Later Renaissance style of English Architecture. Accomodation provided for girls' factory club and girls' friendly society, boys' club and men's club, billiard and games room, gymnasium and kitchen. Staircases of Victoria stone provided at each end of building. (from The Builder 1903)

[Cogidubnus]

That is one cracking looking building frontage Roy...I hesitate to ask what the crapheap nextdoor is though...

All the best

Dave

[Roy Corduroy]

Thank you Dave, next door at 27 Three Colt Street is a bar, the Urban bar



Now & Then - it was the Five Bells & Blade Bone public house

[Maria Birbili]

Pubs
1 Duke of York
2 Silver Tavern
3 Pigott Arms
4 The Londoner (Eastern Hotel)
5 The Star in the East

Other locations
6 Police Station
7 777 Commercial Road
8 Timber Yards
9 St Pelagia's

Blue Line - Limehouse Cut
Yellow Cross - where Emma Smith was seen by Margaret Hames
Yellow arrow - Commercial Road heading west towards Whitechapel and the City
Green arrow - Burdett Road heading north to Mile End Road

I was wondering, do we have any information as of which part of Limehouse was known as London's "Chinatown" and where opium dens might have been located?

[Edward Stow]

I went in that pub once or twice years ago.

Chinatown was in the area around a street called Pennyfields which is still there. It is to the right of the number 4 on my map and above the red line, which is West India Dock Road.
There used to be a lot of Chinese Restaurants in the area by the big junction.
There are still one or two.

[Maria Birbili]

Chinatown was in the area around a street called Pennyfields which is still there. It is to the right of the number 4 on my map and above the red line, which is West India Dock Road.
There used to be a lot of Chinese Restaurants in the area by the big junction.
There are still one or two.

Thanks Ed.

[Chris G.]

Excellent thread! Thanks to all who have contributed.