Whitechapel Guide

A large and built-up area of London located within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Whitechapel is approximately three and a half miles out of the city centre. At the centre of Whitechapel is Whitechapel Road which was originally home to the small Chapel of St Mary.

During the 18th century, Whitechapel’s population expanded with more people moving from the surrounding rural areas to the inner city to take up industrial positions. Unfortunately, during this time Whitechapel saw considerable poverty and it has taken some time to shift this image. Today, it is mainly local professionals who reside in Whitechapel.

In the early part of the 20th century, Whitechapel was famously the home of the Elephant Man and there is now a museum about his life in the Royal London Hospital also located in Whitechapel.