London from 1500 to 1850

In 1500, London was a pre-industrial city that remained within the walls of the old Roman city Londinium. It had the spatial distribution of a pre-industrial city; meaning the rich and powerful elite lived in the center while the poorer people lived farther out, yet within the city walls. The boundaries of London in 1500 were still the Roman wall; however, from 1500 to 1850, London grew outside its walls and developed into a modern, world city. There were (and still are) three very distinct areas of London, which developed in very different ways.

The City

The Citys population declined and commercial activity became more prevalent than residential space.

The West End

Wealthy people who wanted to get away from the problems of living in the city moved to the planned residential space of the West End.

The East End

The East End served as a port-of-entry for immigrants and housed the working class families dependent on the employment Londons many docks provided.

Information obtained from London: Problems of Change, by Hugh Clout and Peter Wood.

Beth Uittenbogaard