Poplar: Culture, Markets and Waterside Paths

Poplar combines impressive architectural heritage, local markets, green spaces and waterside paths. Those looking for a holiday apartment can therefore plan their stay around different interests: culture and remembrance, outdoor activities, events, or food and market life. This allows you to organise your own outings according to the aspects of Poplar that you would particularly like to discover.

Architectural Heritage and Places of Remembrance

A prominent destination is Chrisp Street Market, with its Grade II listed Clock Tower. The market itself dates back to the Victorian period and offers market stalls, shops, cafés, food and drinks in the centre of Poplar. A central pedestrian walkway with restricted traffic between the shops leads to Chrisp Street Market. The bus routes 15, 108, 115, 309, D6, D7 and D8, as well as the night buses N15 and N551, stop directly beside it.

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. There is also a mural and an information board about the Poplar Rates Rebellion of 1921. Silver wall plaques created by community groups also mark the Poplar Heritage Trail.

Further architectural stops represent different periods. The Church of St Mary and St Joseph was built from 1951 to 1954 by Adrian Gilbert Scott as part of the Live Architecture exhibition at the Festival of Britain. The Susan Lawrence School was the first building to be reconstructed as part of this exhibition. The Susan Lawrence and Elizabeth Lansbury Schools have open stairwells with slender steel balustrades that are typical of the architectural language of the Festival of Britain. St Matthias Church was built in 1654 as a chapel for the East India Company, while All Saints Church in Poplar dates from 1823. Its churchyard was closed to burials in 1862 and subsequently opened gradually to the public as a recreational area and garden.

Waterways and Green Spaces

Bartlett Park was created as a recreational area in the 1950s and opened in 1961. Limehouse Cut runs alongside the park; it connects the Lee Navigation with the River Thames. A floating towpath forms part of a waterside walking route there. The “In the footsteps of the dragon” walking route begins at All Saints DLR station in the centre of Poplar. These different starting points give you the opportunity to combine historical discoveries and walks during your stay, without combining both interests into a single circular route.

In the surrounding area, East India Dock Basin was converted into a wildlife nature reserve that supports a diverse bird population. Two birdwatching hides offer views over the basin. The Lee Valley Walk also begins at East India Dock Basin, following Bow Creek, continuing to Three Mills and then through the Lee Valley. This landscape aspect may be particularly interesting when choosing a holiday apartment if, alongside your city and cultural programme, you would also like to plan time for observing nature and walking along the waterways.

Leisure, Events and Local Cuisine

Poplar Baths Leisure Centre has a 25-metre swimming pool. The four-court sports hall is equipped for badminton, netball, volleyball, gymnastics and street dance. Poplar Baths was also the first British swimming pool to use stepped rooflights on a hyperbolic reinforced-concrete frame.

Poplar Union is located between Limehouse Cut and Bartlett Park and offers a varied programme of live music, theatre, comedy, dance, family activities, health and wellbeing courses, community workshops and festivals. The venue also includes the café of Poplar Bakehouse, formerly e5 Roasthouse. Breakfast and lunch, as well as freshly prepared baked goods, are served there every day. There is also a grocery shop selling locally produced fruit and vegetables.

When looking for accommodation in Poplar, you can therefore first decide which aspects of your stay you would like to prioritise: markets and food, architectural heritage, green spaces and waterways, or sport and cultural events. You can take these interests into account when choosing a holiday apartment; you should check the specific facilities, prices and availability with the respective accommodation provider.

For the overarching travel overview: Tower Hamlets.