Do you want to learn more about the history of the area? Scroll the images in the slideshow below to discover more about the heritage and the characters that shaped the area.
2000 years ago London was part of the Roman Empire.
It was known as ‘Londinium’ and was surrounded by High Walls and City Gates that controlled entry and exit into the City. These gates were Aldgate, Bishopsgate, Cripplegate, Ludgate and Newgate. Some of these names are still in use today, and you can still see remains of the Roman City Walls in some parts of the City. Have you seen any?
The area surrounding what we know as Wentworth Street today, was outside of the City Walls. There were ditches outside of the walls, which had been used for dumping rubbish and dead animals - hence 'Hounds Ditch', the name which still exists today.
Beyond the walls was also the area where the Romans would bury their dead. When Spitalfields Market was demolished and rebuilt in the 1990s, Roman stone coffins and funerary urns with copper coins were discovered beneath the market buildings.
