Limehouse is situated in Tower Hamlets.
The Limehouse basin was opened in 1820 as the Regents Canal Dock. This soon became an important connection from the Thames and the Canal system where cargo was transferred to larger ships. Today barges can be seen together with ocean-going yachts. The basin is still used today but the warehouses have become luxury apartments.
This are was also known during the late 19th century for its opium dens run by the Chinese population. But with the area being badly hit by the World War II bombs most of the Chinese inhabitants moved to Soho.
Nowadays Limehouse is a popular residential area over-looking the Thames and Limehouse Basin. Further from the river there is still a large amount of social housing.
Property to rent is available with costs of approximately £395 to £650pw for a l bed flat and £395 to £850pw for a 2 bed flat.
Limehouse Library and Town Hall are both Grade II listed buildings. The Town Hall is now used as the local Community Centre. The Sailors Mission became a run down hostel for the homeless and was known for it’s bad and unhygienic state. It has now been transformed into luxury apartments.
Georgian terraces survive along Narrow Street and one of Charles Dickens favourite public houses ‘The Grapes’ is also here. On the other side of Narrow Street all the houses were bombed, bar one, a public house known to the locals as ‘The house they left behind’. The building is now a Malaysian restaurant standing today with the help of three supporting pillars.
Further along the road is The Narrow a gastropub run by Gordon Ramsay this is in the former Dockmasters house and office. It is now a Grade II listed building.
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