Facts about Shadwell
Shadwell General Info
Shadwell is a district in East London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located north of Wapping and south of Whitechapel, about 3 miles east of Charing Cross. It was historically part of the parish of Stepney, Middlesex and became a parish in its own right in 1670. The boundaries of Shadwell have changed over time; it previously included areas south of the Highway including Shadwell Basin and King Edward Memorial Park, now part of Wapping.
Prince’s contains two schools: Archbishop Sumner Primary School, and Vauxhall Primary School. Along with its neighbouring Oval ward, is home to the buzzing night-time economy of Vauxhall, including the renowned Grade II listed, LGBT venue Royal Vauxhall Tavern. Also the home of Vauxhall Gardens Estate Residents and Tenants Association that represents 2,500 residents.
History
In 1975, archaeologists discovered evidence of a port complex between Ratcliff and Shadwell, that was used throughout Roman occupation of Britain, and being most active in the 3rd century AD. The port seems to have initially been used for seagoing ships into the City of London, which is believed to have stopped between 250 and 270AD. A water level drop meant that the port was used primarily for the public bath house near St George in the East.
Beginning of the sixteenth century, Shadwell was an almost uninhabited hamlet in Stepney, although historian John Stow recalled that elm trees were removed from Shadwell in order to make way for tenements. Eastern Shadwell had been drained in the Middle Ages whilst Western Shadwell had been drained during the reign of King Henry VIII, by Cornelius Vanderdelf after an Act of Parliament.
