Cheshire Street
Encyclopedia
Cheshire Street is a street in east London linking Brick Lane
with Bethnal Green
and Whitechapel
.
It has had various names in its history, such as Hare Street, and today forms part of Brick Lane Market
on Sundays. The Cheshire Street part of the market is home to various Bric A Brac
stalls; prior to the area become popular with artists, the market was a source of basic items (clothes, toys etc.) for working people from the East End.
The street was recently home to Bethnal Green Respect MP George Galloway
.
The street runs parallel to the former Bishopsgate Goods Yard and the main railway track into Liverpool Street
and the railway viaduct that used to carry trains into the good yard is one of the oldest brick rail viaducts in the world, the listed Braithwaite Viaduct. It is possible to see the original brick work of this viaduct from Grimsby Street, a tributary of Cheshire Street.
The old Carpenters Arms
pub, now re-opened, is also located on Cheshire Street. The notorious Kray twins
bought the pub for their mother, who used to hold court in it at weekends. According to the last proprietors of the pub, the Krays installed a bespoke bar surface during the time they owned the pub - the surface employed was allegedly a coffin lid. Reggie Kray's funeral procession went along Cheshire Street in 2000.
Cheshire Street is also home to the Repton Boys boxing club, London's oldest boxing gym, alma mater to boxers such as Maurice Hope
, Billy Walker
, and Audley Harrison
, not to mention underworld figures such as "Mad" Frankie Fraser
.
Today the Hauser & Wirth
Coppermill art gallery is open on Cheshire Street. The last exhibition to feature in the gallery was Christoph Büchel’s installation entitled ‘Simply Botiful’. This installation featured a cheap, rundown hotel, and an underground tunnel through a fridge freezer to where a prehistoric animal stood encased in stone.
The nearest London Underground stations are Bethnal Green
and Whitechapel
.
Brick Lane
Brick Lane is a street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. It runs from Swanfield Street in the northern part of Bethnal Green, crosses Bethnal Green Road, passes through Spitalfields and is linked to Whitechapel High Street to the south by the short stretch of...
with Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is a district of the East End of London, England and part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, with the far northern parts falling within the London Borough of Hackney. Located northeast of Charing Cross, it was historically an agrarian hamlet in the ancient parish of Stepney,...
and Whitechapel
Whitechapel
Whitechapel is a built-up inner city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, England. It is located east of Charing Cross and roughly bounded by the Bishopsgate thoroughfare on the west, Fashion Street on the north, Brady Street and Cavell Street on the east and The Highway on the...
.
It has had various names in its history, such as Hare Street, and today forms part of Brick Lane Market
Brick Lane Market
Brick Lane Market is a London market centred around Brick Lane, Tower Hamlets. It is located at the northern end of Brick Lane and along Cheshire Street in east London. It operates every Sunday from around 8am to 2pm....
on Sundays. The Cheshire Street part of the market is home to various Bric A Brac
Bric à brac
Bric à brac is the fourth album recorded by French singer Priscilla. It was released on 27 June 2005 on the Jive Records label.Two singles were released : "Bric à brac" et "Je danse donc je suis"...
stalls; prior to the area become popular with artists, the market was a source of basic items (clothes, toys etc.) for working people from the East End.
The street was recently home to Bethnal Green Respect MP George Galloway
George Galloway
George Galloway is a British politician, author, journalist and broadcaster who was a Member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010. He was formerly an MP for the Labour Party, first for Glasgow Hillhead and later for Glasgow Kelvin, before his expulsion from the party in October 2003, the same year...
.
The street runs parallel to the former Bishopsgate Goods Yard and the main railway track into Liverpool Street
Liverpool Street
Liverpool Street can refer to:*Liverpool Street station, a major mainline railway station in Central London, England*Liverpool Street, Hobart, a major street in the Hobart city centre....
and the railway viaduct that used to carry trains into the good yard is one of the oldest brick rail viaducts in the world, the listed Braithwaite Viaduct. It is possible to see the original brick work of this viaduct from Grimsby Street, a tributary of Cheshire Street.
The old Carpenters Arms
Carpenter Arms
Carpenters Arms is a common British pub name.The Carpenters Arms are today an unrelated series of public houses informally referred to as "Pubs" within the United Kingdom. Historically the first such named "Carpenter Arms" was based on a forfeit Carpenter Coat of Arms patent and supported by the...
pub, now re-opened, is also located on Cheshire Street. The notorious Kray twins
Kray twins
Reginald "Reggie" Kray and his twin brother Ronald "Ronnie" Kray were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s...
bought the pub for their mother, who used to hold court in it at weekends. According to the last proprietors of the pub, the Krays installed a bespoke bar surface during the time they owned the pub - the surface employed was allegedly a coffin lid. Reggie Kray's funeral procession went along Cheshire Street in 2000.
Cheshire Street is also home to the Repton Boys boxing club, London's oldest boxing gym, alma mater to boxers such as Maurice Hope
Maurice Hope
Maurice Hope is a former boxer from England, who was world Jr. Middleweight champion. Hope lived in Hackney most of his life, but now lives in his place of birth, Antigua. He represented Great Britain at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany.- Biography :Maurice Hope moved at a very...
, Billy Walker
Billy Walker (boxer)
Billy Walker is a retired English Heavyweight boxer and actor. He was born in London in 1939 and turned professional in 1961 after 39 amateur bouts. His nickname was “Golden Boy”. His professional record was 21 wins , 8 losses and 2 draws...
, and Audley Harrison
Audley Harrison
Audley Harrison is a British professional boxer from Harlesden, England who fights in the heavyweight division. At the 2000 Olympics in Sydney he became the first British fighter to win an Olympic gold medal in the superheavyweight division. He stands and usually weighs around .Harrison turned...
, not to mention underworld figures such as "Mad" Frankie Fraser
Frankie Fraser
Francis Davidson Fraser is a former British criminal and gang member who spent 42 years in prison for numerous violent offences.-Early life:...
.
Today the Hauser & Wirth
Hauser & Wirth
Hauser & Wirth is one of the world's leading contemporary art galleries. In addition to representing over 40 established and emerging artists, the gallery represents the estates of Eva Hesse, Allan Kaprow, Lee Lozano, Jason Rhoades, Dieter Roth and André Thomkins, as well as the Henry Moore Family...
Coppermill art gallery is open on Cheshire Street. The last exhibition to feature in the gallery was Christoph Büchel’s installation entitled ‘Simply Botiful’. This installation featured a cheap, rundown hotel, and an underground tunnel through a fridge freezer to where a prehistoric animal stood encased in stone.
The nearest London Underground stations are Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green tube station
Bethnal Green tube station is a station on the Central Line of the London Underground in Bethnal Green, East London. It lies between Liverpool Street and Mile End stations, and in Travelcard Zone 2. The station was opened as part of the long planned Central Line eastern extension on 4 December...
and Whitechapel
Whitechapel tube station
Whitechapel is a London Underground and London Overground station on Whitechapel Road in the Whitechapel neighbourhood of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in east London, England. The station is located on the east–west tracks shared by the District line and Hammersmith and City line and is on...
.