Bethnal Green facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bethnal Green |
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 Stairway to Heaven, also seen is Bethnal Green tube station, CoE St John Church and Salmon and Ball public house. |
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 Bethnal Green
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| Population | 27,849 (Bethnal Green North and Bethnal Green South wards 2011) |
| OS grid reference | TQ345825 |
| • Charing Cross | 3.3 mi (5.3 km) SW |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | E1, E2 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| EU Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
Bethnal Green is a vibrant area in London, England. It's located in east London and is part of the famous East End. This area grew from a small village around a green space, which you can still see today as Bethnal Green Gardens. Over time, Bethnal Green became a larger area, then a parish, and later a borough. Now, it's a key part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Bethnal Green's economy has changed a lot over the years. It used to be known for farming and weaving. Later, people worked in docks and light industries. Today, many residents work in city businesses, public services, construction, or in creative and digital jobs from home. Many older, tightly packed houses were replaced with green spaces and modern homes, especially after the Second World War.
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What's in a Name?
The name Bethnal Green has an interesting history. In the late 1700s, some thought it came from "Bathon Hall," a large house owned by a family called Bathon. The "Green" part simply referred to the open green space nearby.
More recently, experts think the name comes from an old Anglo-Saxon word, Blithehale or Blythenhale, from the 1200s. Healh meant "angle" or "corner," and blithe meant "happy." So, it might have meant a "happy corner" or a "corner belonging to someone named Blitha." Over time, the name changed to Bethnal Green, perhaps because people dropped the 'h' sound.
Bethnal Green's Past
Early Days and Legends
A famous old song from the Tudor period, called The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green, tells a story about a poor man who gave a surprisingly large gift for his daughter's wedding. This story is even shown on Bethnal Green's coat of arms! The The Blind Beggar pub in Whitechapel is said to be where he begged for money.
Bethnal Green has a strong connection to boxing. Famous boxer Daniel Mendoza, who was champion of England, lived here for 30 years. Today, the local sports centre, York Hall, is still a well-known place for boxing matches.
In the 1840s, a church leader named Nathaniel Woodard worked in Bethnal Green. He helped set up a local school. He was known for his strong beliefs about the church and education.
The Green and Poor's Land
The area known as The Green and Poor's Land is now home to Bethnal Green Library, the V&A Museum of Childhood, and St John's Church. This church was designed by the famous architect John Soane.
In 1678, people living around The Green bought the land to stop it from being built on. They set up a trust to keep it open and use money from it to help poor people nearby.
Bethnal House, also called Kirby's Castle, was a main house on The Green. It was once owned by Hugh Platt, who wrote books about gardening. Later, it became a hospital for people with mental health conditions for almost 200 years. Two famous people who stayed there were Alexander Cruden, who wrote a Bible guide, and the poet Christopher Smart. Even today, the park where the library stands is sometimes called "Barmy Park" by locals.
The original big house, the White House, was replaced by a new building in 1896. This building is now the Bethnal Green Library.
How Bethnal Green is Represented
Bethnal Green is part of the UK Parliament area called Bethnal Green and Bow. Since 2010, its Member of Parliament (MP) has been Rushanara Ali from the Labour Party.
London also has a directly elected Mayor, currently Sadiq Khan. The local representative for Bethnal Green in the London Assembly is Unmesh Desai, also from the Labour Party.
Locally, Bethnal Green is divided into three areas called wards: Bethnal Green, St Peter's, and Weaver's. Each ward has councillors who represent the local community. All current local councillors are from the Labour Party.
Exploring Bethnal Green
Special Areas
Bethnal Green has several "Conservation Areas." These are special places protected by the council because of their history and unique buildings. For example, the Bethnal Green Gardens Conservation Area helps protect important buildings around the tube station.
The Hackney Road Conservation Area protects many older, modest-sized buildings. Part of Victoria Park is also a conservation area, preserving its beautiful design and Victorian houses. The Regents Canal Conservation Area protects old industrial buildings along the canal.
The Old Bethnal Green Road Conservation Area focuses on the Winkley Estate, which has a very special and consistent look. These areas are protected to keep Bethnal Green's unique character.
Parks and Green Spaces
Bethnal Green Gardens, in the centre of Bethnal Green, is home to the "Stairway To Heaven" war memorial. Weavers' Fields is a large park, great for playing and relaxing. The western part of Victoria Park is also in Bethnal Green.
In the 1970s, a neglected area became the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve. Local residents now look after it, turning it into a lovely green space.
Famous Buildings
The old Bethnal Green Infirmary, which was a hospital, is now mostly housing. However, the original entrance and administration building are still standing and are protected as a historic building.
People of Bethnal Green
In 2011, Bethnal Green had a population of 27,849 people. The largest group are people of Bangladeshi descent, making up 38% of the population. Every year, the Baishakhi Mela festival celebrates the Bengali New Year in Weavers' Fields. The second largest group are White British people, at 30%. Bethnal Green also has people from many other backgrounds, including Black Africans and Black Caribbeans.
The area has a significant number of people who have moved here from other countries.
Faith and Community
About 50% of Bethnal Green's residents are Muslim and 34% are Christian.
There are many historic churches in Bethnal Green. St John on Bethnal Green was built by John Soane in the 1820s. St Matthew is the oldest church, built in 1746. It's considered the "mother church" of Bethnal Green. Other churches include St Peter's and St James-the-Less.
The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption is a major Roman Catholic church, and it also hosts the London Chinese Catholic Centre. The Bethnal Green Methodist Church is linked to the founding of the National Children's Home and Orphanage (now Action for Children). St. Casimir's Lithuanian Church serves London's Lithuanian community.
There are at least eight mosques or Islamic places of worship in Bethnal Green, including the Baitul Aman Mosque and Cultural Centre.
The London Buddhist Centre is a place for the Buddhist community and offers courses on mindfulness.
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Services for Young People
Education
Bethnal Green has many primary schools for children aged four to 11. St. Matthias School is over a century old. The Bangabandhu Primary School, named after the founder of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujib, opened in 1989 and has over 450 students. Many students' parents speak Sylheti, a dialect of Bengali, at home.
Bethnal Green Academy is a highly-rated school and college in London. Another local school is Oaklands School.
The oldest secondary school was Raine's Foundation School, founded in 1719. It became a mixed school in 1977 but closed in 2020.
Bethnal Green Gardens and Bethnal Green Library offer places for fun and learning.
Community Support
The Oxford House is an important community centre. It was founded in 1884 by Oxford University to help people in need. Today, it still provides classes, events, and activities for the community.
The Approach Gardens, once an unused space, has been turned into a community food garden and a wildlife area. The Nomadic Community Gardens was a temporary project that turned an overgrown area into a community space.
The Gallery Cafe, located in St. Margaret's House, is a vegetarian (now vegan) café that gives its profits back to the community. It has won awards for being the "Best Café in Bethnal Green."
Getting Around Bethnal Green
Trains and Tube
Bethnal Green tube station is on the London Underground Central line. This connects Bethnal Green to Stratford in the east and the City and West End of London.
The area also has two National Rail stations on the London Overground network: Bethnal Green and Cambridge Heath railway stations.
Since 2016, Bethnal Green tube station has been part of the Night Tube service, meaning trains run all night on weekends.
Buses
Bethnal Green is well-served by London Buses. Routes like 8, 26, 55, 254, and 388 go to Central London. There are also night bus routes like N8, N26, N55, and N243.
Art and History
Clare Street is known as an art area, with many interesting murals on buildings. You might also spot a mural of David Attenborough on a fish store!
The St John church has fourteen special paintings called Stations of the Cross by artist Chris Gollon.
From 2005 to 2008, the Vyner Street Festival was a popular family event with local bands and artists.
In 2013, a sound art installation called "TUBE" was created to remember the Bethnal Green Tube Disaster, one of the worst events of the Second World War. A plaque at the tube station and a larger memorial, "Stairway to Heaven," in Bethnal Green Gardens, also remember this event. The memorial was unveiled in 2017.
Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium was London's first cat café, opening in 2013. The Oval Space hosted "Catfest" in 2018, where people could meet cats and enjoy food.
Local Life and Changes
In 2019, Sustrans, an organization that promotes walking and cycling, opened its new London office in Bethnal Green.
The Hare pub, once part of the famous Truman's Brewery, is now a popular local spot. It's known as a "good, honest pub" and was listed as one of London's best. Old railway arches near Cambridge Heath Road have been turned into a new area with places to eat and drink.
In 2018, Sainsbury's opened a special "meat-free butchers" for a few days to celebrate World Meat Free Week, offering plant-based alternatives to meat. During renovations at the Carpenters Arms pub, an old safe was discovered in the cellar!
Famous People from Bethnal Green
- Cheryl Baker, a singer and TV presenter.
- Roger Crab, a vegetarian who lived as a hermit here in the 1600s.
- Pete Doherty and Carl Barât from the band The Libertines lived and performed in a flat here.
- Leslie Fuller, a famous film star.
- Peter Green, a blues guitarist and founder of Fleetwood Mac.
Sports
- Football Clubs
Bethnal Green is home to two Non-League football clubs:
- Tower Hamlets FC
- Sporting Bengal United FC
Both teams play their matches at Mile End Stadium.
See also
In Spanish: Bethnal Green para niños
