Notable & Lost Buildings Of Columbia Rd
In her fourth story, Linda Wilkinson traces Columbia Rd’s architectural heritage, notable & lost
Nineteenth century glass side of Columbia Market, courtesy of Bishopsgate Institute
By the latter half of the nineteenth century, it was fashionable to send affluent young men to live in the East End as part of their societal duty. One suspects this was partly voyeurism of a class of people who were often regarded as sub-human, but no doubt it also had the effect of disseminating first-hand information about the prevailing conditions in the slums and rookeries. So it is no surprise that some of the newly self-made men of the Victorian middle classes pursued Philanthropy, nor that the poverty-ridden quarter which Columbia Rd became should have come to their attention.
The provision of social housing for the “deserving poor” was begun here by Angela Burdett-Coutts and Charles Dickens who, through the vision of architect Henry Darbishire, built an architectural masterpiece that few can believe ever existed in the East End. Photographs cannot do justice to the sweeping majesty of this series of buildings which rivalled any of that era. Part market complex and part housing scheme, this vast structure has been replaced today by Sivill House and the flats around it that comprise Market Sq.
As a market, it was a spectacular failure and the housing element hardly fared better. Purposely built with ill-fitting doors and no glass in the corridor windows, they were an icy, inhospitable series of dwellings. The basement and other parts of the structure were damaged by bombing in World War Two. It was certainly salvageable yet, despite protests at the time, the entire complex of buildings was demolished in the nineteen-sixties.
The next tenement block to be erected was Leopold Buildings in 1872, by the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company. Built upon land leased by Angela Burdett-Coutts, the block was run on similar lines to Columbia Sq with a strict selection and discipline regime, thus ensuring a healthy return on investment. It housed one hundred and twelve families and was of such individual design that, in 1994, the block received a Grade II listing. In 1997, the premises were upgraded and refurbished to a high standard, and today they enliven the otherwise architecturally bland west end of Columbia Rd.
The next tenement block to be built was in 1892 by the Guinness Trust. As theTtrust announced at the time, “The Guinness Trust … acquired a triangular site on the east side of Columbia Rd (formerly Birdcage Walk), north of the Barnet Chantry estate, in 1890. It replaced sixty-three houses with six blocks of mostly two-roomed tenements designed by Joseph & Smithem, completed in 1901.”
Finally, Ravenscroft Buildings, which stood where Ravenscroft Park sits today was built in 1897 and comprised one hundred and ninety-four flats. It was built around three sides of a rectangle to a height of five storeys. Designed in an ornate style by Davis & Emmanuel, it has not survived and the only extant photograph of the front is the one below, taken in 1898, probably from the Birdcage Public House.
Angela Burdett-Coutts (Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery)
Columbia Market Hall, 1914
These gateposts and railings are all that remain today of Columbia Market Hall
Leopold Buildngs, 1872
Architectural detail of Leopold Buildings
Leopold Buildings
Guinness Trust Buildings, 1892
The only extant shot of the frontage of Ravenscourt Buildings, taken in 1898 probably from the Birdcage Public House (Courtesy of English Heritage)
Joan resident of Ravenscroft Buildings, 1954 – her niece Carol is portrayed below
Hoardings after demolition of Ravenscourt Buildings in the eighties, on what is now Ravenscourt Park
Carol Court, long-term resident of Ravenscroft Buildings, in the park which replaces them today
Jesus Green, the Jesus Hospital Estate was built in the eighteen sixties
Nineteenth century furniture workshops on Columbia Rd
Nineteenth century shopfronts with dwellings above
Looking west down Columbia Rd towards the City of London
Amazing and very sad to hear bout Columbia Market – but v interesting too.
I heard some top architect or another describe shop below / living above as the single most conducive approach to building communities.
Hi Linda, love all these posts which are educating me about a place I have known for years but had very little idea of it’s history . Have you had a chance to see the Bell Jacks yet which were rescued from the roof of the old market ? They are now stored by English Heritage at their new Archaeological museum , Wrest Park , Bedfordshire. Would be good to get them back to Columbia Road??? Looking forward to tomorrows post already !
Another very interesting read. The old buildings certainly had more charm than the soulless new houses and flats which replaced them. Valerie
Thank you again Linda for your fascinating insight into the history of the area around Columbia Road where I grew up. I remember the Columbia Square tenement (which we used to call the Black Buildings) being derelict until their demolition – such a pity it was never viable for housing as architecturally it was surely on a par with St Pancras Station. I’m so glad the Bell Jacks were saved, picture here http://www.pmsa.org.uk/pmsa-database/1316/ which says they are on loan from English Heritage and located at Tower Hill Terrace in London. Wish I’d known that before my last visit to see the Tower poppies!
Angela Burdett Coutts grave is worth a visit. It is in St Pancras Church Cemetery, just north of St Pancras station – a beautiful zigurat with glazed tiles of flowers.
Thank you from me too Linda, I so much enjoy learning about the history of the East End. I did not know about Charles Dickens’ connection with Angela Burdett-Coutts before but I have recently discovered, from the memoirs published in the 1950s of a lady who was then aged 103, that Dickens was a visitor at the home of Frederick Greenwood, and that she had met him there. All this interests me as Frederick Greenwood was also concerned about the plight of the poor in London, and he and his brother James, who wrote an article about a night spent in Lambeth Workhouse, were members of my Greenwood family. Frederick Greenwood was the editor of the Pall Mall Gazette and he published articles by Charles Dickens I believe.
Someone mentioned, on here recently I think, the strong pull that there is when you have ancestors from areas of London and I agree. I have never lived in London myself but all my father’s family came from parishes close beside the River Thames, and I definitely feel the pull!!
All these fascinating insights into history interest me so much so thank you again.
Pauline.
I attended Columbia Road School from 1943 until 1948 when Mrs Smith was the ‘Milk Lady’, Mr Nelson was the Headmaster and Mr Evans was the Caretaker. Other teachers were Mr Bridel, Miss Clark, Miss Doe, Mr Hawkins, Mr King, Mrs Munns and Miss Johnson. Very good photos.
Ron Pummell.
I lived in flat 9 Ravenscroft Buildings from about 1945 until about 1955, and attended Columbia Road Primary School. My mother’s sister lived in flat 12. She was a war widow and married David Evans who was the milkman from Jones’ Dairy, Ezra Street. The families all now live in Norfolk.
Regards
Michael Glynn
My name is Brian smith and I lived in 144, Ravenscroft buildings from 1945 until 1951.
My friend Barry Gad lived in the block next door, my grandad Mr Lee owned the wet fish shop on Columbia Road, called lee’s and as far as I know it is still called lees. I attended the primary school opposite and remembered sleeping in the main hall, on camp beds in the afternoon, and also went to the Odean cinema on Saturday mornings paying 6 pennies for entry. Any comments!
A fascinating article
Please could you tell me who did the illustration of Columbia Market and in what year.
Also have you any idea of the name of the gardens/park next to the market
I lived in Ravenscroft buildings on the second floor directly opposite the bird cage public house. I had two brothers John and Brynmor, parents John(jack) and Elsie, my Gradparents lived in the middle front their names were Charles Gray and Nell. I was also sent to Harry Blanco’s to get flour from a barrel packed into a blue paper bag. Does anyone remember any of this or my family.
I was in the Mildmay Mission Hospital when I was 7 and I can remember my sister and my
mum waving from the corner of columbia road school. The nurses used to push my bed
out on the balcony of the hospital. I remember the Bell Jacks in situ and people used to
say that enemy “spies” used to be up there sending secret messages!!. Of course this was
in the war. So glad the Bell Jacks have been rescued.
Lived in Ravenscroft Buildings from 1947 until 1953 with my Grandmother whose name was Foster – Cannot remember the flat number but was on the first floor. Remember the courtyard in the middle where we use to play. My dad’s local was the Bird Cage just across the road and I remember my auntie Mary playing the piano there in the evening. Went back a few years ago and there is now a park where Ravenscroft Buildings was but the pub hasn’t changed much apparently
I lived in the Columbia square buildings from 1949 – 1952 when my uncle and aunt moved into our ground floor flat. We used to visit often and I remember well how awful the place was with dark corridors and shared toilets. The square where the market had been was where we played and seemed to have a lot of broken glass. My uncle had previously lived at 99 Ravenscroft buildings.
Hello I lived opposite the big Columbia church like building in Baroness rd. it was pulled down about 1958 And I went to Columbia rd school. The flats with the spiral staircases
We would go to the top of one block andgo over the roof and come down the block next to it .
Really naughty. I also went ti Daniel Street school.
I lived in Ravenscroft Buildings from 1935 – 1965 at no27 then when I got married we moved to no34. I used walk across Columbia road to Bendon’s where I worked til 1965 from the age of 13. We lived in no27 with my parents John (known as jerry, when he worked in the birdcage pub) & his wife Ada, my brothers John,Brian & my sisters Helen & Joan.
I now live in Norfolk.
Yes i lived in Ravenscroft Buildings Born there in 1947 left there in 1950 to move to Harold Hill Dagnam Park Drive in the Buildings i lived at Number 100 it was the good old days.
Hello, does anyone remember the Banfield’s who lived at number 8 Ravenscroft Buildings?
They were my great grandma Catherine, her husband Charles and their children Peggy & Charlie. This would have been from 1920s onwards I believe. My mother Wendy & her brother Kenny also lived there briefly in the early 50s and attended Columbia Road primary school. Please get in touch if you recognise any of the names. Thank you.
My parents ( Irene and Harry Saunders ) moved into 157 Ravenscroft Buidings in 1954 when I was eighteen months old and lived there until 1958. I have vivid memories of playing on the Bomb sites surrounding the buildings and sitting in my high chair watching very early TV ( popeye was my favourite ). The flat had two rooms, front door into lounge/kitchen and a door off this room to the bedroom. The toilet and bathroom were outside the flat, up the stairs and on the next floor shared with three other flats ( four in total ). This caused many aurguments with other tennants as my father always spent a lot of time in there! My parents ( sadly both now passed on ) moved from Ravenscroft Buildings because of me… I was playing outside across the road and ran back accross without looking ( traffic was very rare ) and I was struck by a commercial van which caused a severe head injury ( fractured skull ). A policeman carried me back to the flat. When I came out of hospital my parents stayed a little while longer then we moved to Chadwell Heath. I have a picture of me outside the building at the back by the stairs in my pushchair/pram grinning like cheshire cat. I can recall many arguments between tennants mainly over noise and toilet use. A tough place to live and tough people living there..God bless all of them… Jeff Saunders .
I lived in Bethnal green off hackney road myself. Dinmont estate until 1970. I married
And moved to eagle dwellings city road then to Victoria chambers off old street. I now live in Wallington surrey. I brought a book in a local charity shop by Edna Healey the wife of Dennis Healey the labour mp. This book called lady unknown was about Angela burdett coutts the Victorian bank heiress. The fact she had put up some of her capital to have Leopold and Columbia market buildings erected and the Victoria park fountain. Yes she was a mutual friend of Charles dickens who through his novels highlighted the problems and social injustice issues. Of victorian society .Burdett and baroness road in the EastEnd are named after her. She was a very wealthy woman a so called do-gooder but she had a social conscience I think and tried to help the less fortunate in the parti ular era.
Hi Carole I came from Shoreditch do you recall Gladstone buildings willow street and albert buildings leonard street. As you mention Victoria chambers in your comment. I lived in Gladstone buildings myself in the 1960’s. Victoria chambers are the only ones still standing now. And have been all done up inside and are selling for over £300.000 a two bed flat I believe.
Yes emily I knew about Victoria chambers and i recall the other buildings you mentioned. Took a drive up to old street once we couldn’t believe how it has changed all those tall blocks of flats in city road. So busy there now. We moved to surrey in 1977.
Hi, does any one remember Ada and Claire Howard 2 sisters that lived at the top of Ravenscroft Buildings, think it was number 20 then they moved to number 2. Which was in like an alley and at the end was a ladies hairdressers. They were very good friends of my mums and I use to call the my aunts. We use to visit them quiet often. They also had 2 nephews frank and Steven who also visited quiet often. I just wondered if anyone remembered them and had any photos of the old buildings.
Many thanks
Pete
I lived with mum dad and brother tony from when I was born in 1951 until we moved a few streets away in 1966. My maiden name was Sheppard and we lived in the very last flat 192. Over the years we went from one room to a conversion of all rooms on our landing. We went to Columbia road school and I too remember taking a nap in the afternoons on a little camp bed! Jeffrey Saunders do you remember us?
Are there any known photo’s of Columbia buildings where I lived with my large family. We used to climb the clock tower in the square as kids?
We lived at Columbia square buildings from mid 1940’s to 1957/8 then moved to Northesk Hse Brady st Whitechapel. I attended Columbia rd school and remember Booths sweet shop opposite. My grandparents used to live at Hadrian Estate in Hackney rd.
Hello Linda.
I left a comment before. Just to say I lived in Guinnesss Buildings, and sat next to your brother Tony in school. Thank you for all the wealth of memories you have provided.
Hello. I live opposite that Columbia Road market building all my young life in Baroness rd
We used to play in the forecourts but never inside the big square where the stalls were evidently I can remember coming home from evacuation a couple of times and there being an air raid and going underneath that building there was a huge big hall with all separate rooms round the edge for each family to sleep My Sister lived in the black buildings for a short time shared water on the landing I’m not sure about the toilet situation.
Although I didn’t really appreciate it at the time it was a magnificent building too beautiful to pull down I think it was about 1958 that the demolition people moved in.
I get very nostalgic when I go back there. I go to Columbia Road flower market quite regularly during the year. Jean
I lived in Ravenscroft buildings from 1957 and went to Columbia Road School. My maiden name was Haines. Mum and Dad was John and Joan. I think we lived in number 99. I remember sleeping in the hall at school on camp beds. I can’t remember any teachers names. I do remember playing in the centre of the buildings amongst the washing on the lines. I picked up the flowers from the market that was left behind. Unfortunately mum and Dad are no longer with me to tell me any more. I feel that I have happy memories from my time in Columbia road. I left Columbia Road School in 1960/61 and moved to Harol Hill.
Presumably Ravenscroft Buildings is the edifice of a ‘Gothic gloominess impossible to describe’ that Geoffrey Fletcher depicts in “The London Nobody Knows”.
Hi.
I had an aunt. Ada. And uncle. Who lived somewhere in these buildings
I was about. 8 when I last visited Shoreditch I remember the shops being opposite.
Aunt Ada had some kind of dwarfism she was tiny, She worked at St pancras station as a nurse or sometime toilet attendant. I can’t remember their surname.
After her husband died. She carried on working. But developed a hoarding problem.
I would like to find out something about what happened to her
Hi All , I also attended Columbia Rd school. Approx ‘ from 1961 to 65 and have many happy memories of that time. I lived in the Guinness buildings and my Dad (Walter Stenning) was an employee of Guinness Trust . He was the estate superintendent. I can also remember the younger kids at Columbia Rd school having sleepy time on camp beds in the school hall. Time seems to have robbed my memory of most of the names of teachers and kids I would once have recalled even without thinking. But I remember a few. Here goes : The head mistress was Miss Abinett , my teachers name was Mr Warwick , we also had a Miss Goodwill and a Mr Moore (who all the kids hated). I remember a few of my friends names . We had two boys with the same name but spelled differently , Stephen James and Steven James. We had a boy called Nicky Wakeman and another called Tony Robbins . Although I think Tonys surname changed from Robbins to Vickers during our time at school (how – I do not know). Ahh , such happy days. Chris Stenning.
Chris,
I started at Columbia in 1960 and left in 1965. I was in same class as Nicky Wakeman and Tony Vickers.
I lived in Ravenscroft buildings from 1959 until 1966 when we moved to Bow x
I grew up in Ravenscroft Buildings 1941 until we moved in 1956 at no. 79. My Nan lived at 78, one of her sisters at the bottom of our block and more family in the middle block. Played wonderful games in ‘the Square. I also went to Columbia Road, Miss Blake,, Miss Cumber, Mrs Russell and then Miss Cockayne who had her favourites and no one else really mattered. A lesson learned when I became a teacher.
Loved my childhood, great freedom with a huge group of friends, it couldn’t happen now.
I lived in Guinness buildings and went to Columbia Road from 1961 to 1967. I remember the name Nicky Wakeman (2 years older than me). Teachers I remember are Miss Clark (my primaryteacher), Miss Lapp (my infants teacher) Mr Warwick, Mr Moore (yes I was scared of him too). Names from my class were, Peter Newins, Gary Finch, Glen Coules (not sure of spelling) Johnny Walker (who lived in Ravenscroft) and Paul Jennings, amongst others. Look back on those times fondly. Can’t believe we were allowed to roam the streets in our lunch time. Seems incredible now.
I was born in 1952 in Guinness Buildings Bethnal Green E2 . I was always lead to believe the address was Hackney Road?
I was looking to see if Bendon grocers shop in Columbia Road was mentioned. I don’t know when they closed but they were open during the 1930s and 1940s. My ex husband was a Bendon and the shop was run by his grandparents.
I used to live with my parents in the Guinness Trust Buildings Columbia Road. My father was the estate superintendent in the late 60s having left the army in 1967. I went to school in Lauriston Road and then to Hackney School. I can remember a couple of characters when we lived there “Diamond Lil” and a Ms Waites you had a job to find her in her flat as she was really tiny and she was a bit of a hoarder! Opposite were the Peabody Buildings which was similar to the Guinness buildings. A bomb site was next to the Guinness buildings which was great to play on. There was a sweet shop on the other side of the road where a friend called Lisa lived and her sister lived on the top floor of the Guinness building and used to put a yellow duster out of the window to signal to the sweet shop she was up and about! My father then moved to the Guinness Trust estate in Newhaven before retiring
Following on (albeit a little late) from the comments in October 2015 by Michael Glynn, I did know his aunt who married Dave Evans, the milkman from The Dairy in Ezra Street. Her first husband Sidney, who was killed, was my dad’s brother so we did get to know “Uncle” Dave and his family over the years. They were a lovely family and Uncle Dave lived to a ripe old age of over 103.
My father’s family, surname Grisley, lived in various flats in Ravenscroft Buildings over the years. I understand my Grandfather Walter and Grandmother Elizabeth Grisley lived at No. 36 in 1935 along with their children including Walter, Sidney, Arthur, Leslie, Gladys & Elsie. They then moved to No. 74 Ravenscroft in 1939. followed in 1963 with Elizabeth and her 2 daughters moving to No. 53 Ravenscroft. I’m not sure if it was No. 74 which was on the corner of the buildings and had dual aspect windows but to the small child I was at the time, it seemed to be an enormous room. My grandfather’s local was across the road at Birdcage.
My mother, Irene (maiden name Walker), was born in 1922 at 152 Guinness Buildings. She married my father Arthur in 1942 and from July 1945 they lived at 138 Ravenscroft Buildings along with their baby daughter Christine. Then in January 1947 they moved to No. 164 Ravenscroft Buildings shortly prior to my birth there. We lived there until we moved to Harold Hill, Essex in 1952 and enjoyed having our own bathroom and toilet!
Although still very young when we left I do remember the coloured sleeping beds we were made to lie on at Columbia Road School, the cod liver oil and malt on a spoon (loved the malt) and the dark, dingy landings with shared toilets in Ravenscroft Buildings. I remember scouring through the huge rubbish bins for any goodies in the triangle beneath our window. Our two room “apartment”, a bedroom and a living/kitchen/dining room. I remember there being workshops on the ground floor, one of which was a carpenters. We took our tin bath with us to Harold Hill and it hung on the back fence, never to be used again – at least not for a bath!
My Great Aunt Stella Collyer DOB 19 Jan 1923, who lived at 33 Ravenscroft Buildings died in the blitz on 16th April 1941 aged 18 years.
Her parents were Edward and Rose (Rosina). Stella was a waitress at the time. She lived there with her parents and younger sister Joyce.
My Maternal Grandmother (my Nanny) (who was younger at the time and had been evacuated with her younger brother Eddie) said she was told a bomb had hit and half of the appartment fell and that her parents, on the other half of the appartment were unharmed. So sad.
Looking at my family tree and Stella is listed in the War Graves commisssion for Civilian War dead. We also have a newspaper clipping with news of her passing.
A friend of mine now lives just off columbia market and i have visited the Ravenscroft Park and memorial plaque. Just so sad.
Lived at 81 Virginia Road from 1961 to 1971, when we moved to Bow (slum clearance). Attended Columbia Market Nursery before going to Columbia Road school.
Spent time in Mildmay A&E getting patched up from falls.
Remember visiting the Turk’s Head (Offie), and also the Birdcage. Does anybody remember the man who sold papers outside the Birdcage?
It was shame to see the “factories” move out, but it meant that “us” kids had magic moments playing “run outs”.
Also remember bonfire nights, on the bomb site, with the fire engines always “turning up”.
I used to spend time in this area when I lived in London. Loved the site and the memory it brings. Reason I got on was a google search for Ravenscroft Buildings, I saw an envelope sent from Russia
in the 1920 to a Mr B Vax at the Ravenscroft. Sent from Kiev, now the Ukraine. He might well have fled Russia due to the revolution and the inflation – it has 30,000 rubles worth of stamps on it!
I’m so happy to have found this site. I went to Columbia Rd. School from September, 1946. My parents were Arthur(Art) and Lilian (Lilly) Daltrey. We lived at 27 Durant Street with my brother John and young sister, Christine (now deceased). Dad had the shoe repairer’s business in Columbia Rd, in the front shop of my grandparents’house, opposite the Royal Oak pub. Their names were Arthur (Art) and Florence (Flo) Daltrey. These grandparents ran the Fish and Chip Shop further along Columbia Rd, no 148 I recall. Our family were related to the Lee family who ran the fresh sea food shop (still open in Columbia Rd). Dad was the cousin of Douglas (Dougie) Lee). WE three children went to Columbia Rd School. I notice that someone commented earlier on this site, mentioned a teacher called Miss Johnson, she had taught my mother when she was at Columbia School and I admit to finding her as fearsome as my mum obviously had! I wonder if others agree that our childhood, at that time, just after the horror of war, was in fact wonderful? Still very hard for our parents what with rationing and bomb sites, and dreadful tales to recall of injured soldiers and lost lives, but somehow happy at last, with so much determination to progress and gratitude at having survived.? I’d love to hear from anyone old enough to remember the now ageing me!! I’m on Facebook and Whatsapp. We’d have lots more to recall and that would be great!! ????
My parents and grandparents lived in Ravenscroft Buildings in the 1940’s.
My mother’s parents were Joe & Sarah Leckstein, my mother was Esther and had two brothers John & Mickey and two sisters Bella & Gertie.
My father’s parents Mark & Jesse. My father was Dave and had a brother Charlie.
Jesse ran the ‘bagwash’ on Columbia road.
Does anybody remember any of them?
I lived in the prefabs in Ravenscroft street from 1945 to 1964 I went to Columbia road school
The picture of carol court I remember her from school days