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1. STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS
OF THE AREA
General Information.
The Metropolitan Borough of Stepney is bounded on the west side by
the City of London, on the north by the boroughs of Shoreditch and Bethnal
Green, on the east by the borough of Poplar and on the south by the River
Thames, the river front being some 2.39 miles in length.
It is roughly rectangular in shape,the length being 2.3 miles and
the breadth varying from 1 to 1½ miles, and possesses approximately 90
miles of streets. The area of the Borough is 1,902 acres, and of this the
river accounts for 136 acres, and the inland water, consisting of docks and
canals, 75 acres.
Dark blue London Clay is found under the whole Borough at a depth of
between 20 and 30 feet from the surface. Above this level are layers and
patches of gravel and sand, brown and yellow clays being found nearer the
surface. In some parts of the Borough are layers of "made" ground, the
result of earlier habitation, and, as is to be expected, the flow of subsoil
water is towards the river.
The area is to a large extent industrial in character, factory
premises being spread throughout the Borough but tending to be concentrated
towards the western end, with docks and wharves stretching along
the whole of the river front, which forms the southern boundary.
The chief industry of the Borough is the manufacture of clothing of
all kinds, it being estimated that a third of the tailoring industry of
London is carried on in Stepney. Other major industries include brewing,
cigarette making, engineering and the manufacture of furniture. Stepney
is also one of the most important wholesaling districts in London. The
Spitalfields wholesale fruit and vegetable market and the London Fruit
Exchange are situated in the Borough.
Interesting industries carried -on in the Borough include the manufacture
of coinage both at the Royal Mint and at the Rothschild private mint,
and bell casting at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry. In 1956 over 499
million coins were struck at the Royal Mint, approximately 68 per cent
being for Britain. At the bell foundry referred to, which was established
in 1570, many famous bells, including Big Ben, were cast, and more
recently new bells for St. Clement Dane's (of "Oranges and Lemons" fame),
as well as for St. Mary-le-Bow (the renowned "Bow Bells"), both destroyed
in the last war.
Apart-from its residential and industrial population, the Borough
attracts large numbers of visitors who come to see such places of interest
as the Tower of London, Tower Bridge, the Royal Mint, and "Petticoat Lane"
Market.
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