This famous east London neighbourhood sits right at the edge of the borough of Tower Hamlets and is known locally as Old Spitalfields Market. The neighbourhood has a rich history but is most known for its trendy and artistic atmosphere that has developed in recent years. It has a mix of street art, traditional businesses, cool coffee shops and pop-ups, curry houses, skyscrapers, and industrial buildings and homes. Shoreditch, in which Spitalfields market resides, has a ton of bars, clubs, and cutting- edge restaurants, making it a great area for those who enjoy the nightlife. The neighbourhood is also well-located and has many transportation options, making it easy for party goers to reach their watering hole of choice. The famous Brick Lane straddles the east of the area, which was the setting for Monica Ali’s best selling novel of the same name. Bangladeshi flags hang on the southern end of the road marking the start of ‘Banglatown’, where Britain’s largest Bangladeshi community is located.

Although this locality now seems like an integral part of London, it was once part of Middlesex and only became part of London in 1889. During the Middle Ages, the neighbourhood was most known for an Augustinian Priory, founded in 1158. The Priory was built near the sacred ‘holy well’, and thus received the name Holywell Priory. It became the richest nunnery in the whole country and at its peak, spanned eight acres across. It was dissolved in 1539, during the dissolution of monasteries undertaken by King Henry VIII.

James Burbage, a Tudor actor, is buried in the local St Leonard’s Shoreditch Church. Burbage is not famous for his acting skills or career, but is most known for building The Theatre, the first permanent dedicated theatre built in England since Roman times. William Sommers, Henry VIII’s jester, is also buried in St. Leonard’s Church.

Christopher Marlowe, an Elizabethan dramatist, also lived in the area in what is now the southern continuation of Shoreditch High Street, during the 16th-century. Marlowe was a poet and playwright at the forefront of the 16th-century dramatic renaissance and his works influenced William Shakespeare and generations of writers to follow.

Spitalfields market used to be even more exotic and diverse. From the 1950s to the 1970s, there was an animal market, and it began as a dog and bird market, but soon sold goats, snakes, monkeys and even lion cubs.

The Brick Lane Mosque, also known as Brick Lane Jamme Masjid, has a varied religious history. Since being built in 1743, it has functioned as a Huguenot chapel, a Methodist church, and a Jewish Synagogue. It has been a mosque since 1976.

Many residents are worried about the area becoming overdeveloped and losing its artistic character and diverse culture. However, local community organisations are working hard to ensure that the area retains its charm and historic institutions.

Most controversially, developers and residents have been at odds over plans to redevelop Brick Lane’s Truman Brewery which is currently home to around 300 small businesses. Despite the council approving the developers proposal in 2021, new mayor, Lutfur Rahman has taken the side of residents, arguing that a new solution must be found for the site. Nearby, work is underway on an ultramodern luxury development called The Stage, which brings the skyscrapers of the city ever closer to the low rise communities of the East End.