[1] From the Centre, turn left into Whitechapel Road. At the crossroads use the pedestrian crossing to turn right into New Road. There are several cafes here. Turn right into Fieldgate Street. Tayyab’s is on the right, a more up-market cafe! Cross where it is safe and turn left along Parfett Street, flanked with old buildings, pleasingly restored. Where it becomes pedestrianised, continue along it to Commercial Road. Turn left and cross at the first pedestrian-controlled lights.
[2] Turn left towards Cannon Street Road, and go right there: there are low kerb ramps at every crossing. Cross over Cable Street, at the Crown and Dolphin (seemingly closed), then turn left along it. The entrance to St. George’s Gardens is on the right, next to which is a lurid mural depicting the Battle of Cable Street (A).
(A) The Battle was a punch-up between anti-fascist demonstrators and police on the occasion of a march by Fascists through the area in 1936.
Enter St. George’s Gardens, (formerly the churchyard of St. George in the East, designed by Hawksmoor) and take the first path left. In front, is a playground with slides and a climbing frame. Having finished there, turn right and follow the churchyard wall (which incorporates headstones), up two steps and back towards the church.
[3] After mounting the steps in the churchyard turn left along a paved path which leads out of the churchyard onto The Highway. At The Highway use the pedestrian-controlled lights to cross. Go left and then turn quickly right and into Wapping Lane. Continue along here and at the canal bridge, look to the right to see the Tobacco Dock and the “Pirate” ships moored in front of it. Walkers may choose to go through the gate before crossing the bridge and down two flights of eight steps to reach the towpath of the waterway, by which ships passed between Tobacco Dock and St. Katherine’s Dock nearer the Thames. They should then follow the waterway as it turns left and then right. Coots and swans may be seen. About 50 yards before the canal seems to end, there is on the canal side a notice of bye-laws, framed and glazed. Turn right there into the housing development, turning left at the road (Kennet Street, unsigned) and crossing it where it is safe. At the main road (Vaughan Way), turn right.
A more wheel-friendly route from Tobacco Dock is as follows: cross the waterway bridge then take the first right into Reardon Street. Follow this round the corner to the left. Take the next turn right into Waterman Way, then immediately left into Stevedore Street. On your left at the end is a ramp up which goes round to the right. Go up the ramp then straight ahead along Spirit Quay with the waterway on your right. Continue right to the main road at the end (Vaughan Way), then turn right across the bridge and advance to cross Kennet Street. You here rejoin the route continuing using the instructions below.
[4] Continue up Vaughan Way to The Highway, which you cross at the pedestrian-controlled lights. Go straight ahead along Dock Street crossing Cable Street at more pedestrian-controlled lights. Turn right along Cable Street and then turn into the second road on your left (Back Church Lane, unsigned). Proceed along here until it ends. The buildings here were obviously designed as warehouses: if you look up, in places you can see the hatches and cranes by which the goods were passed. At Commercial Road, turn right and cross at the pedestrian –controlled lights.
(B) At these lights, to your right you can see Henriques Street, formerly Berners Street, where Jack the Ripper murdered his third victim, “Long Liz” Stride.
[5] When across the road turn back along Commercial Road, then take the first right along Weyhill Street and you soon cross over Coke Lane (unsigned) into Plumber’s Row. Proceed up here on the right-hand side. At the top cross into Fieldgate Street via the kerb ramps.
(C) To your left is the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, Britain’s oldest working manufacturing plant, possibly its oldest surviving business of any kind. Big Ben was cast there.
Carry on to the Whitechapel Road. Turn right and cross it by the pedestrian- controlled lights. (There is another cafe on your way). Go right again to return to the Centre