East London’s Other Fleet Street: A Gritty, Hidden History
Forget the world-famous Fleet Street of newspaper fame; London has a lesser-known, far grittier namesake tucked away in the railway edge-lands east of Brick Lane. This ‘other' Fleet Street, sometimes called Fleet Street Hill or Pedley Street Arch, is a fascinating journey through East End history and urban decay.
Once part of a bustling residential area, much of its southern section was tragically obliterated during the Second World War, making way for Allen Gardens. Curiously, its name also shifted from an east-west path to its current north-south trajectory around 1885. Today, its northern entrance on Cheshire Street is hardly an inviting sight, described as a ‘hold-your-nose experience' with litter, graffiti, and a distinct ‘pong' that seems to have plagued it since at least 1869.
Yet, for the brave, this neglected alley offers a unique perspective. It carries you over the Liverpool Street railway tracks, offering a rather exposed spot for train-spotting, before dipping under another bridge. This section is a canvas of vibrant graffiti, including tags from a legitimate company, MR PLANT HIRE. The path's tatterdemalion steps are a recent ‘improvement,' leading past a solitary arch – a remnant of a larger viaduct that served the Bishopsgate Goods Yard before its fiery demise in 1964.
The street abruptly ends at another railway, the Windrush line, leaving intrepid explorers to navigate Pedley Street's remains. This charmingly/scarily run-down locale even hosted the Nomadic Community Gardens until their displacement in 2019 when the land was sold. Despite its neglect, this forgotten thoroughfare, a vital railway crossing point, deserves a moment in the spotlight, hinting at a future where it might finally emerge from its cocoon of urban anonymity.
This forgotten corner of East London represents a fascinating hidden london attraction that reveals the area's untold journalistic heritage.
While the famous Fleet Street attracted journalists and media professionals, East London's forgotten counterpart also drew those seeking fleet street government jobs in nearby administrative offices.
While most tourists visit London Fleet Street in the West End, few discover the fascinating printing heritage hidden in East London's industrial neighborhoods.
Today, visitors can explore this forgotten chapter of East London's journalism heritage through several hidden london museums and historical walking tours.
Students studying in London Fleet Street's shadow often overlook the equally fascinating journalistic heritage that thrived in the capital's grittier eastern districts.
(Source: https://londonist.com/london/history/london-s-other-fleet-street)
