History of the Area

Our local area teems with history. At the Ragged School Museum, we focus on the past two hundred years, but what we now know as “The East End” has far earlier roots. Way back in Roman times, London was an important administrative and commercial centre, and has remained so over the centuries.

The history of the East End is inextricably tied to that of London as a whole: the East End berthed the ships that brought trade and wealth, it welcomed and housed the successive waves of immigrants that allowed London to grow, it provided entertainment venues for the gentry and local people, it was a place where industry, commerce and markets came together. Even today, it is the only place in the capital where the Olympic Games of 2012 could be hosted.

There are many excellent books on the development of London as a whole and on the East End in particular, but for a potted history of some of our immediate neighbouring areas, you are welcome to download the Ragged School Museum's summary of East End history.