Church of St George-in-the-East and St George's Gardens

The church of St George-in-the-East was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The foundations were laid in 1714, the building roofed in 1717, and the church was finally dedicated on July 19, 1729. The new parish was created  out of the Parish of Stepney and named St George-ion-the-East, in order to distinguish it from other parishes named after St George.

The church was built on a confined site hemmed in, on its south side, by the buildings which ran along the Ratcliff Highway (now The Highway). Nicholas Hawksmoor designed the church to soar above these buildings, thus ensuring that much of the detail of the church would remain visible for years to come. The original church was formed in the shape of a Greek cross within a rectangle. It had 'pepper-pot' towers, over the gallery staircases, and a tower, at the west end, that featured an open octagon top stage.

In May 1941, during the Blitz, an incendiary bomb hit the church and destroyed the interior. Although the interior was damaged beyond repair, the walls and the 'pepper-pot' turrets remained standing. In 1964, Arthur Bailey designed a modern church interior, which was constructed inside the existing walls, and which was dedicated in April 1964. At the same time a ring of eight replacement bells, cast at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, were installed.

Walking with friends: Aldgate to Limehouse... and beyond

A message from 'Beak and Squeak'.

Monday January 5, 2026: 

Sunny with Northwest wind at 9 mph. 

2°C (35.6°F), but the windchill made it feel like -4°C

First walk of 2026.

I had arrived at Aldgate station early, so I had a wander around the edge of the City of London, while I awaited the arrival of Dyan, who would be accompanying me on today's walk. This would be Dyan's first walk with me, so I had picked a route that went along with some of her interests.

One of London's 'Slum' pubs, soon to be demolished.

On leaving Aldgate station we headed along the very narrow Little Somerset Street, as I wanted to get some photos of the 'Still & Star' pub, before it gets pulled down. The pub closed in 2017 and is one of only a few 'Slum' pubs left in London. This pub was converted from a private house into licensed premises, in the 1820s. Rumours abound that the new developers are going to build a replica of the pub in front of their new office block. Which begs the question, "Why not keep the original building?"

We followed Little Somerset Street and joined Mansell Street, Goodman's Fields and the Prescot Street. Prescot Street was the first street, in London, where the buildings were numbered, rather than having signs hung outside. This practice spread, aiding the flourishing postal service.

A true Victorian pub.

We passed the 'English Martyrs Church', built between 1873-1876 and then the 'Princess of Prussia', named for Victoria Louise, Queen Victoria’s granddaughter and the daughter of German emperor Wilhelm II. I must pop in here, one day.

The Ratcliff Highway Murders and the Aftermath

The Ratcliff Highway Murders.

In two incidents, between December 7th and 19th, 1811, seven people from two families were murdered in what would become known as the Ratcliff Highway Murders. This was one of London's first major serial murder cases, which deeply shocked Victorian society. 

At midnight on Saturday December 7th, at 29 Ratcliff Highway (now The Highway), Mr Timothy Marr, a draper, sent his maid out for oysters before he and his apprentice, James Gowan, closed the drapery for the night. On her return the maid could not rouse them to gain entry and so summoned a watchman, who also failed to make entry.

29 Ratcliff Highway is now a block of flats.

A neighbour, John Murray, who finally managed to enter, found the draper and apprentice murdered in a blood-spattered room, downstairs, and Marr's wife Celia and their child Timothy dead, upstairs. The weapons, a chisel and a maul hammer, lay on the shop floor. Two pairs of footprints were found in the back of the shop.

The site of the second murders.

On Thursday December 19th, a nearly naked man escaped from a second-floor window of the King's Arms public house, at 81 New Gravel Lane (now Garnet Street), shouting, "They are murdering the people in the house!" The publican, John Williamson, his wife, Elizabeth, and their maid, Bridget Anna Harrington, were later found dead with fractured skulls and their throats cut. A crowbar was found beside John Williamson, but no knife or sharp implement was discovered.