Comments on: The Lost World Of The Alleys https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Thu, 15 May 2025 09:43:43 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 By: Andy Jackson https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/#comment-1723179 Thu, 15 May 2025 09:43:43 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=132668#comment-1723179 Went through this alley on Tuesday. I use it every time I’m in London, to nip through from Liverpool Street to Middlesex Street, but Tuesday’s perambulation was the only time I’ve been disgusted: a huge poo sitting on the floor, and a discarded jersey. Usually the alley is quiet, clean and clear, with only the occasional evidence that it’s being used as a public urinal.

]]> By: Phil Carstairs https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/#comment-1637141 Sat, 26 Oct 2024 14:14:52 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=132668#comment-1637141 Israel Zangwill, often referred to as the Jewish Charles Dickens, lived on this alley in 1881 along with his mother father and and sister. Perhaps time for a blue plaque if only there were somewhere to put it where we could see it?

]]> By: Sue McAuley https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/#comment-1455611 Wed, 06 Apr 2022 03:31:38 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=132668#comment-1455611 Wow Cherril, what an amazing story.

]]> By: Cherril Colleen Jones https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/#comment-1441054 Tue, 14 Dec 2021 06:46:07 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=132668#comment-1441054 Thank you for the lovely photographs and atmosphere. Soaking it up.
Greetings from Australia. I am descended from two convicts transported to Australia, John Banks from Essex in 1820 and Elizabeth Berry in 1829. Elizabeth was born in Cable Street in 1810 and transported for the theft of a gown, from a pawn shop on Commercial Street, with her cousin (Maria) Tamar Dowdy. Tamar lived in Church Lane, next to St Mary Whitechapel. Her father owned the Weavers Arms in Church Lane in early 1800s – now The Bar Lock, White Church Lane. Elizabeth Berry’s grandmother (my 6th great great gm) Tamar Dowdy (nee Read) died in Catherine Wheel Alley in 1781 of decline and was buried at St Mary Whitechapel. So Catherine Wheel Alley has special significance for me.

]]> By: Steve Hanscomb https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/#comment-1249027 Thu, 03 Jan 2019 11:25:50 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=132668#comment-1249027 Interesting article as ever. There is a bit of information about Catherine Wheel Alley on the web. It’s named after the Catherine Wheel pub that stood there and burned down in 1895. It was not named after the firework we all know, but a hideous form of torture and execution that was given to murderers or robbers. They were truly inventive in years gone by when inflicting pain upon criminals. While it would be wonderful to take a time machine back to old London to see the wonderful streets, buildings and characters, it could be a barbaric place it seems.

]]> By: Jennifer https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/#comment-1248385 Sun, 30 Dec 2018 17:56:51 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=132668#comment-1248385 Google maps took me down Catherine Wheel Alley today.

The first section was compact but clean leading us to a sharp blind right turn and, frankly the eye of hell! We immediately startled a flock of 20 or so pigeons that were feasting on a bin bag… or a corpse! Only one failed to fly away instead choosing to stare at us, his beady black eye reflecting the quiet dark despair of a life played out in Catherine Wheel Alley. A man in squatting in a doorway eyed my shoes, we are in steel toe-cap territory and he knows my baby pink loafers are destined to meet a murky end!

The stench hits… the puddles from the walls meet in the middle of the tiny alley to form a river around which I dance. So many questions go through my mind… Is this where it all ends? Will I ever see daylight again? What is that on my shoe? Who would choose to function by this disgusting Alley?

The darkness parts as the sun blisters through and burns my eyes…

*Bing bong* “You have reached your destination” Google tells me triumphantly.

One question is answered – the restaurant i have selected to eat at lines cesspool Alley. The question of what is on my shoe however will never and moreover should never be answered.

]]> By: Barbara https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/#comment-1127423 Tue, 03 Jan 2017 15:47:29 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=132668#comment-1127423 Just yesterday we saw the guilty smoker, the rubbish bins, the mysterious puddles, and all. The alleys were a nice antidote to go-go London. Thanks for the article!

]]> By: Nicko https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/#comment-939136 Sun, 19 Apr 2015 00:10:42 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=132668#comment-939136 Great photos and text.
“Perhaps most people avoid these empty alleys for fear of what they might discover?”
Most people probably avoid them because they have a greatly exaggerated fear of the dangers. Read Mayhew or any history of London and it is obvious that the city used to be far more lawless and dangerous than it is today.

]]> By: Annie S https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/#comment-933358 Mon, 13 Apr 2015 12:29:00 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=132668#comment-933358 These old alleyways are fascinating, I have passed by but didn’t realise you could walk right through.
There is a Police Station nearby which possibly accounts for the presence of the police officer.

]]> By: lyndsey smith https://spitalfieldslife.com/2015/04/12/the-lost-world-of-the-alleys/#comment-932567 Sun, 12 Apr 2015 18:05:00 +0000 http://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=132668#comment-932567 the alleys are mentioned here…
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nGVZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA371&lpg=PA371&dq=swedeland+passage+london&source=bl&ots=_gLDADsj0y&sig=xVERdnTroyAi4TZZSmgh1LbJR98&hl=en&sa=X&ei=abEqVYCXA9jiapSZgNgC&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=swedeland%20passage%20london&f=false

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