East End’s Hidden Fleet Street: A Journey Through Neglect
London possesses a lesser-known, often forgotten “other” Fleet Street, distinct from its famous newspaper namesake. Located in the East End’s railway edge-lands, east of Brick Lane, this thoroughfare is also identified as Fleet Street Hill or the ‘Pedley Street Arch’ on various maps. Its historical trajectory saw a name change around 1885, with older maps showing it along what is now Pedley Street. While its southern residential area was destroyed in WWII, giving way to Allen Gardens, its northern section, spanning railway tracks, persists.
Today, this East End Fleet Street, beginning at Cheshire Street, presents an uninviting appearance. Historically known as Three Colt Corner, it’s marked by litter, graffiti, spikes, and a persistent foul odor, documented since 1869, suggesting its use as an “al fresco toilet.” Despite these conditions, it offers a unique, if “uric-tainted,” vantage point for train-spotting from an exposed gantry over the Liverpool Street lines. The path continues under a railway bridge, where extensive graffiti, including a tag for “MR PLANT HIRE,” covers nearly every surface, even recent replacement steps.
The journey culminates abruptly at another railway line, the Windrush line, necessitating a detour. Along the route stands a solitary arch, a remnant of a larger viaduct that once served the demolished Bishopsgate Goods Yard. This entire area remains “charmingly/scarily run-down,” with recent disruptions like the displacement of the Nomadic Community Gardens. Crucially, this neglected passage serves as the only railway crossing between Brick Lane and Brady Street, underscoring its practical importance. Despite its current state of disrepair, London’s other Fleet Street holds potential for future regeneration, hoping to emerge from its “cocoon of neglect.”
(Source: https://londonist.com/london/history/london-s-other-fleet-street)
