The East End Women’s Museum Heritage Trail

Brilliant Women of Whitechapel, Bow and Barking

The East End Women’s Museum exists to record, research, share and celebrate the stories of East London women past and present. On this self-guided trail, you’ll discover just a handful of the ordinary yet extraordinary women who have lived through the area’s incredibly rich and diverse history – and shaped it too.

The trail will take you from Whitechapel, where the story of the East End Women’s Museum started, to our site in Barking where the museum will open in the next year. Depending on your pace, this trail will take 2-3 hours to complete, including a short journey on the London Underground. We’ve designed it to be flexible and accessible, so you can take detours, add your own stories, or complete it in sections. If you need them, buses 25 and 205 will take you along the A11 between stops 2 and 6, buses 425 travels between Mile End and Victoria Park (close to stop 7), and between Victoria Park and Bow Road (stops 8 and 9).

***Please observe current social distancing guidance if you are exploring the trail on foot.***
Please note that the trail is not time specific and will be available on our website for a long time. If you are unable to make it to these locations owing to current COVID-19 restrictions, please enjoy the stories online instead (as well as many others), and we hope that you will be able to explore the trail in person soon.

Scroll down to view an online version of Brilliant Women of Whitechapel, Bow and Barking, which includes extra details on the stories and walking instructions.

If you are viewing this on a mobile, we recommend you click on the [ ] icon on the top right of the map below, which opens the map separately in Google Maps - you may find this easier to navigate.

Alternatively, you can also download a PDF version of the trail here:

 1

Mala Sen

Woodseer Street, off Brick Lane

Start the trail standing at the corner of Woodseer Street and Brick Lane. Aldgate, Aldgate East, Shoreditch High Street and Liverpool Street stations are all a short distance away.

We begin our trail in the heart of the ‘East End’ with a story about social change, migration and activism. In the 1970s the Bengali community in Spitalfields was rapidly growing, but Bengali women and their families faced racism, prejudice and discriminatory housing policies that meant they often lived in slum conditions.

Mala Sen eloped to Britain in 1965, aged just 17, and began working in local sweatshops to earn a living. Working with local families and other activists, Mala Sen co-founded the Bengali Housing Action Group (BHAG) in 1976 and began helping families to squat in unused council buildings around Brick Lane and Spitalfields. Some of the key squatted houses were here on Woodseer Street. Although these buildings no longer stand, today Brick Lane is still a centre of Bangladeshi culture and community, thanks to the work of Mala Sen and BHAG.

2

Miss Muff’s ‘Molly House’

Black Lion House, 45 Whitechapel Road

Turn left out of Woodseer Street and walk to the end of Brick Lane. Turn left here onto Whitechapel Road. In a couple of minutes you will find Black Lion House on the left, opposite Adler Street and Altab Ali Park. This is a modern building today - look out for Starbucks!

In the 1700s Miss Muff (also known as Jonathan Muff) ran a ‘Molly House’ here in Whitechapel in Black Lion Yard, where Black Lion House stands today. At that time a thriving gay subculture existed in this area which included ‘Molly Houses’ – places were men could meet to socialise and have sex, and sometimes take on more typically ‘feminine’ personas. For example, visitors to ‘Molly Houses’ could cross-dress in women’s clothing and use alternative ‘female’ names.

The history of East London shows us that, like today, historical concepts of gender identity and sexuality have been fluid and constantly evolving, rather than simple and straightforward.  Although we know little about how these individuals would define or describe their gender identities, it’s clear that East London has always had a long and rich LGBTQ+ past.

3

Annie Brewster & Edith Cavell

The Royal London Hospital

Continue along Whitechapel Road until you see The Royal London Hospital on your right.

Tip: Buses 25 and 205 service Whitechapel/Mile End Road between stops 2 and 6.

The Royal London Hospital has played an important role in women’s lives in East London for centuries, for both the locals who have been patients here and the women who have trained and worked here – many of them trailblazers. For example, Annie Brewster, one of the first identified nurses of African descent working in London, was a nurse here from 1881 to 1902. She was known for her ‘quick intelligence’ and kindness to patients.

Nurse Edith Cavell also worked here. During the First World War, Cavell treated wounded soldiers in Belgium from both sides of the conflict and helped many British, French and Belgian soldiers trapped behind enemy lines to escape. She was arrested and executed for this ‘crime’ in 1915, although today she is celebrated for her compassion and bravery. Look out for Cavell Street, named after her, as you pass the Royal London Hospital towards stop 4.

4

Josie Woods

Genesis Cinema, 93-95 Mile End Road

Continue along Whitechapel Road as it becomes Mile End Road, until you come to the Genesis Cinema on your left.

Josie Woods was born in Canning Town in 1912 to a Dominican father and ‘gypsy girl’ mother who worked on the local docks, but pursued a rather more glamorous career than her parents –  as a music hall star! After working for a tailor in Aldgate as a teenager, Woods danced in theatres around the world during the 1930s, including in Paris in the famous Le Revue Negre show. She also danced across London with the ‘first’ established black British dance troupe, Eight Black Streaks, who were known as ‘the world’s fastest dancers’, and in East London she performed in venues like the Paragon Theatre which once stood here. By the 1950s she was working in TV and film, where she organised a strike to demand fair pay for black extras in the industry.

5

Milly Witkop

Dunstan Houses, Stepney Green

Cross the road here at Genesis Cinema and head down Stepney Green. You should be able to see the big red brick building Dustan Houses when you turn the corner - it’s just opposite Stepney Green Gardens and is clearly marked with a sign on the side of the building.

Feminist, anarchist, and union activist Milly Witkop lived here in Dunstan Houses in the early 1900s. Born in Ukraine, Witkop moved to London to flee anti-Jewish pogroms and began working in a tailor’s sweatshop to pay for her mother and sister to join her.  She edited radical newspapers, organised trade unions and advocated ‘free love’ alongside her life partner, Rudolph Rocker, before emigrating to the Netherlands after the First World War. The couple moved to Germany but fled antisemitism again in 1933, moving to the US where they continued their activism.

6

Sarah Chapman

American Snooker Hall, 229 Mile End Road

Return to Mile End Road and continue east towards Stepney Green station. Shortly after you pass the station and cross Globe Road, you’ll see the Mile End American Pool and Snooker Hall on your left.

On 5th July 1888, 1400 women and girls working at the Bryant and May match factory in Bow went on strike to protest the dangerous and unfair conditions that they worked in. The ‘matchgirls’ worked long hours for low pay, and faced unfair fines on their wages as well as exposure to dangerous chemicals. Their industrial action led to improvements in the safety and fair treatment of Bryant and May employees and led to the establishment of a Union of Women Match Makers, who would collectively protect ‘matchgirls’ for years to come.

One of the strike leaders, Sarah Chapman, lived here on Mile End Road. She worked at Bryant and May alongside her mother and older sister, like many working-class families in this area. Take a look down Mile End Place to get a sense of the home Sarah would have lived in, and see if you can spot the red towers of the old Bryant and May factory as you travel to stops 7 and 8.

If you’re extra keep, head over to Sarah Chapman House on the corner of Arbery and Strahan Road in Bow. The building, which houses 9 new council homes was named after the strike leader.

7

The Women’s Hall Mural

Lord Morpeth Pub, 402 Old Ford Road

To reach the next stop, continue along Mile End Road and pass Mile End Park, turning left onto Grove Road before Mile End Station. Follow this road until you reach Victoria Park, then turn right onto Old Ford Road. In a few minutes (shortly after crossing the canal) you will see the mural in front of you, on the side of the Lord Morpeth Pub.

Tip: Bus 425 services the route between Mile End Station and Victoria Park (close to stop 8) .

From 1914 to 1924 the Women’s Hall at 400 Old Ford Road was the headquarters of the East London Federation of Suffragettes (ELFS) and the home of their leader, Sylvia Pankhurst. Like many similar groups, the ELFS fought for women’s right to vote, but focused their campaign on the communities of working women living in East London. As well as a place to meet and organise, the hall was a radical social centre run by and for local working-class women which included a ‘Cost Price Restaurant’ where people could buy a cheap meal and get free milk for children. Although the building is no longer here, today this mural at number 402 plays tribute to Pankhurst and those who fought for women’s and worker’s rights here.

This area is filled with important pieces of women’s history. Victoria Park, which you passed on your way to this stop, has been nicknamed ‘The People’s Park’ due to the number of political meetings and rallies that have taken place here over the years. A little further along Old Ford Road, at the corner of St Stephen’s Road, the suffragettes also ran a day nursey in the Gunmaker’s Arms Pub known as ‘The Mothers Arms’ - you’ll pass this location on your way to stop 8.

8

Minnie Lansbury Memorial Clock

Electric House, Bow Road

Return to Grove Road, retracing your steps to Mile End junction. Turn left onto Mile End Road walk until you see Bow Road Station. Opposite Bow Road Station, on the corner of Alfred Street, look up to find the Minnie Lansbury Memorial Clock.

Tip: Bus 425 also serves this part of the route. Take the bus from Victoria Park to Bow Road Station. Alternatively, you can take bus 8 from Alice Lane to Bow Church, to travel to stops 8 and 9 via the Bryant and May factory, now known as The Bow Quarter.

Look up on the corner of Alfred Street and Bow Road to spot this memorial clock, dedicated to Minnie Lansbury. Lansbury was born in Stepney in 1889, one of seven children in a Jewish family who had come to London to escape poverty and persecution in Russia. After becoming a teacher, suffragette and then elected councillor, she was jailed in 1921 along with five other women for refusing to charge full rates from her poorest constituents. Although the Poplar Rates Rebellion paved the way for fairer tax legislation, Minnie sadly died shortly after her release aged just 32. Today the clock on Electric House pays tribute to her and reflects how much she was loved by the community here. It was erected in the 1930s and restored in 2008.

9

Hannah Dadds/ The Olympic Park

Bow Road Station, The District Line

At Bow Road (or Bromley-by-Bow for step-free access), take an Eastbound District Line train towards Barking. Read on to discover more stories as you ride to Barking for the second part of this trail.

Take an Eastbound District Line train from Bow Road or Bromley-By-Bow (step free access) to Barking to retrace the steps – or tracks – of another East London pioneer as you travel to the Barking section of this trail. In 1978 Hannah Dadds became the first female train operator on the London Underground, driving trains on the District Line. After working in various factories in Bow, Dadds began working as a ‘railwoman’ at Upton Park before training as a driver. She was later joined by her sister Edna and the pair became the first all-female train crew on the tube.

As you ride between Bromley-By-Bow and West Ham, look out for the twisting red spirals of the Orbit Tower, built for the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. London 2012 was historic for women in sport – it was the first time in the history of the games that every country had at least one female athlete in their team. Many records have been set here by women, including by Team GB wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft, who was the first person to break a world record in the new Olympic Stadium.

10

Annie Clara Huggett

King Edward’s Road, Barking (house number unknown).

When you reach Barking, exit the station and head right on Station Parade. Follow the road left onto Ripple Road and continue until you reach the roundabout, which is at the junction with King Edward’s Road. From here you will be able to see a mix of old and new homes and buildings on the street where Annie Clara Huggett once lived.

Born in 1892 in Essex, Annie Clara Huggett moved to Barking in 1902 and became involved in the campaign for ‘Votes for Women’. She is said to have hosted suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst in her home here on King Edward’s Road when she was just a teenager. When Annie died in 1996 she was the oldest surviving suffragette, as well as the longest card-carrying member of the Labour Party. In Barking and Dagenham her legacy continues - she is buried nearby in Rippleside Cemetery, while The Huggett Centre, named after her, continues to support women and girls in the area today.

11

Ford and Women in Industry

Ice House Quarter, Abbey Road, Barking

From the roundabout walk back on yourself up Ripple Road for a couple of minutes, and turn left at St Paul’s Road instead of walking back to Barking Town Centre. Pass the Barking Abbey Grounds on your right, and head left down Abbey Road until you see the Ice House Quarter (on your right). Step into the Quarter to spot some of the industrial buildings that still exist here, and catch a glimpse of the River Roding.

In the past 100 years industry has shaped the lives of countless women living in Barking and Dagenham (and beyond). In 1951, there were more than 10,000 women working in factories in the area, women who made everything from record players and machine guns to paint and popcorn. Many of these factories surrounded the banks of the River Roding where you are now standing. Working for large companies like Ford or May and Baker could offer women more independence and opportunity than other, lower paid jobs, but the work could also be dull, difficult and even dangerous.

In 1968 150 women working as machinists at Ford’s Dagenham plant went on strike for equal pay. The women refused to work until they were paid the same as semi-skilled male employees. Although they were only partially successful, their strike was instrumental in the passing of the Equal Pay Act in 1970, which made it illegal to pay men and women different wages for the same work.

12

Elizabeth Fry

Quakers’ Garden, North Street, Barking

Return to St Paul’s Road and cross over to Broadway, passing St Joseph’s Primary School on your left. Walk along Broadway and up to North Street, where you’ll find the Quakers’ Garden at the corner of North Street and Whiting Avenue (opposite the Sikh Temple).

Although you might not expect it, famous prison reformer Elizabeth Fry is buried here in the Quakers’ Garden on North Street. During her lifetime, Fry dedicated herself to improving the lives of women and girls, successfully campaigning for improvements in prison conditions, opening a shelter for the homeless, and founding a refuge for women involved in sex work. Today she is remembered in many ways, such as on the £5 note (until 2017), with a bust in East Ham library, and now here in this memorial garden. Fry died in 1845, and although her gravestone has now moved to Wanstead, and the Friends House that existed here has become a Sikh temple, she remains buried here today.

13

The Abbesses of Barking

Barking Abbey Ruins, Abbey Road, Barking

Retrace your steps along North Street and head into the Barking Abbey Grounds/ Abbey Green, where you’ll find St Margaret’s Parish Church as well as the Barking Abbey Ruins.

In the medieval period Barking Abbey was one of the most important institutions in the country with huge religious and political importance – and ran by women. The abbesses that ran the Abbey were some of the most powerful women in Britain, some becoming queens and even saints, while the nuns that lived here include some of our earliest known writers and historians, like Clemence of Barking. The Abbey was destroyed in 1540 but the remains are still visible, while women in Barking and Dagenham have been shaping history ever since.

14

The East End Women’s Museum

Abbey Road

Cross through Barking Abbey Ground towards Abbey Road and the River. This is where the East End Women’s Museum will open in 2021!

Our final stop on the trail is the museum itself. For far too long, women have been confined to the margins of history, but East London women’s lives have been filled with amazing stories of pride, of creativity, of humour, resilience, resourcefulness and resistance. We want to share stories of women and their incredible achievements, and empower women and girls to tell their own stories too.  The East End Women’s exists through pop-ups and touring exhibitions, workshops, events and online. A new museum site will be opening on this site in 2021.

This heritage trail was created by Charlotte Tomlinson in partnership with the White Rose College of the Arts and Humanities (WRoCAH), the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and the University of Leeds.

Twitter: @charltommo

*Public toilets are available in locations along the route, including in the Whitechapel Gallery, Victoria Park Pavilion and the Barking Learning Centre. The trail is self-guided so we warmly encourage stopping along the route, taking detours, and getting to know more about the area as you walk!