Poplar: Markets, Architecture and Waterside Routes

Poplar between market life, architecture and waterways

Poplar presents London from a multifaceted perspective: the district combines a traditional market, distinctive architectural heritage, parks and waterside routes. If, for your stay, you are looking for more than individual sights and also want different daily rhythms, you will find cultural points of interest, opportunities for outdoor activity and places to take a break with food and drinks here.

Chrisp Street Market and local history

Chrisp Street Market dates back to the Victorian era and is located in the centre of Poplar. In addition to market stalls and shops, there are cafés; the market also offers food and drinks. A central, traffic-free pedestrian route between the shops leads to the market. The bus routes 15, 108, 115, 309, D6, D7 and D8, as well as the night buses N15 and N551, stop directly beside Chrisp Street Market.

The Chrisp Street Market Clock Tower stands above the market and is designated as a Grade II listed building. In Poplar Recreation Ground, a memorial commemorates 18 children who died at Upper North Street School in Poplar on 13 June 1917 during the First World War. A mural and an information board in the park also address the Poplar Rates Rebellion of 1921.

Architecture and culture in Poplar

Poplar Baths was the first British swimming pool to use stepped skylights on a hyperbolic reinforced-concrete frame. Poplar Baths Leisure Centre has a 25-metre swimming pool as well as a sports hall with four courts. It is equipped for badminton, netball, volleyball, gymnastics and street dance.

The architecture associated with the Festival of Britain is also present in the district. The Church of St Mary and St Joseph was built from 1951 to 1954 by Adrian Gilbert Scott as part of the Festival of Britain’s Live Architecture exhibition. Susan Lawrence School was the first building to be reconstructed as part of this exhibition. Susan Lawrence and Elizabeth Lansbury Schools have open stairwells with slender steel balustrades, typical of the architectural language of the Festival of Britain.

Further historical points of reference include All Saints Church, built in 1823, and St Matthias Church, which was established in 1654 as a chapel of the East India Company. The cemetery of All Saints Church was closed to burials in 1862 and subsequently opened gradually to the public as a recreational area and garden. Silver wall panels created by community groups mark the Poplar Heritage Trail.

Parks, walking routes and waterside nature

Bartlett Park was laid out as a recreational area in the 1950s and opened in 1961. Limehouse Cut runs alongside Bartlett Park and connects the Lee Navigation with the River Thames. At Limehouse Cut, a floating towpath forms part of a waterside walking route. Poplar Union lies between Limehouse Cut and Bartlett Park and offers a varied programme featuring live music, theatre, comedy, dance, family activities, health and wellbeing classes, community workshops and festivals.

Another way to explore Poplar on foot is the “In the footsteps of the dragon” walking route. It begins at All Saints DLR station in the centre of Poplar. It can be used to combine different focuses within the district, whether history, architecture or outdoor routes.

In the nearby area, East India Dock Basin has been transformed into a nature reserve for wildlife that supports a diverse bird population. Two bird hides offer views over the basin. The Lee Valley Walk also begins there, running along Bow Creek, continuing to Three Mills and then through the Lee Valley.

Food and breaks during the day

For a break at Poplar Union, Poplar Bakehouse, formerly e5 Roasthouse, operates the café. Breakfast and lunch, as well as freshly prepared baked goods, are offered there every day. The offering also includes a grocery shop with locally produced fruit and vegetables. Together with Chrisp Street Market, this provides a clear local connection for meals and shopping during a day in Poplar.

Other London destinations for comparison

If you would like to compare Poplar with other London destinations, you can also find Bexleyheath, Harlington, Lambeth, Barnet, East Ham, Highbury, Southwark and Ealing here.