BRICK LANE

HISTORY OF BRICK LANE

Brick Lane runs from Bethnal Green and through Spitalfields down towards Whitechapel. The street was originally called Whitechapel Lane; it is thought that it was renamed because local earth was used by brick and tile manufacturers who set up shop in the street in the 15th century.

By the 17th century, the street had also become a popular location for breweries. The famous brewing family, the Trumans, started their business here and you can still see their Black Eagle Brewery on the street. This century also saw the start of its market.

London’s Brick Lane has a fascinating history and is one of the most popular places to visit in the East End today, especially on a Sunday when the streets get the area buzzing.

DESCRIPTION OF BRICK LANE

Brick Lane has an extremely popular and quite eclectic Sunday market that is popular with locals, Londoners from other areas and visitors to the capital. The market was originally licensed to run on Sundays in the 1800s – this was unusual at the time as markets were not supposed to open on the Sabbath.

At that point in Brick Lane’s history, the local population was predominantly Jewish, so a special dispensation was given for Sunday opening, as the Jewish Sabbath falls on a Saturday.

A Sunday trip to Brick Lane market is generally a lot of fun. You may find some regular stalls in there, selling the kind of stuff you’d expect in a market, but the real charm here is the second-hand stalls.

ART OF BRICK LANE

Brick Lane is also home to a thriving artistic community. Its graffiti is particularly worth looking out for – street art is celebrated here rather than immediately cleaned off! Lucky locals in the past have seen work spring up on their walls from C215, Stik and ROA. There are also plenty of small galleries dotted around Brick Lane and its surrounding streets that are well worth a visit.