Whitechapel Stepney Through Time

This fascinating selection of photographs traces some of the many ways in which Whitechapel & Stepney have changed and developed over the last century.

Whitechapel, situated in London's famous East End, was so-named after a chapel dedicated to St Mary that was destroyed during the Second World War. While sixteenth-century Whitechapel was home to numerous foundries, breweries and tanneries by the mid-eighteenth century poverty and overpopulation had struck. Perhaps best-known for the horrific 'Whitechapel Murders' between 1888 and 1891, the Whitechapel of today is a cultural melting pot. Much like Whitechapel and the rest of the East End, Stepney was largely marshland until the nineteenth century and the expansion of London's docks and railways. Today, only a few vestiges of the district's Georgian and Victorian architecture survive, having given way to brick flat towers and terraced homes.

Crossrail, the ‘Elizabeth’ line, is simply the latest way of traversing a very old east–west route through what was once countryside to the city and out again. Visiting Stepney, Liverpool Street, Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street, Gillian Tindall traces the course of many of these historical journeys across time as well as space. The Tunnel Through Time uncovers the lives of those who walked where many of our streets still run. These people spoke the names of ancient farms, manors and slums that now belong to our squares and tube stations. They endured the cycle of the seasons as we do; they ate, drank, worked and laughed in what are essentially the same spaces we occupy today. As Tindall expertly shows, destruction and renewal are a constant rhythm in London’s story.

First published in 1996, this comprehensive guide to the history of Britain and its peoples will be indispensable reading for the general enthusiast, as well as students. It is packed full of fascinating detail on everything from Hadrian’s Wall to the Black Death to Tony Blair. The book was assembled over more than thirty years and has seen updates in three editions. "He has done for historical encyclopaedias what Samuel Johnson did for dictionaries." Andrew Roberts, The Daily Telegraph "An astonishing synthesis of information." Roger Scruton, The Times "An astonishing achievement, a compelling book for dipping into, a splendid work." Simon Hoggart, The Guardian "This marvellous book, which contains tens of thousands of historical facts will enlighten, amuse, and inform. Every home should have one." Simon Heffer, The Daily Mail "If you were marooned on that mythical desert island with only one history book, this would be the one to take. Buy three copies – one for the children, one for the grandchildren- and one for yourself." John Charmley, The Daily Telegraph