Whitechapel

ASE's investigations took place at Stepney Way between 2015 and 2019 in advance of the redevelopment of the site. Our team examined approximately 7,300m2 of archaeological stratigraphy, yielding huge finds assemblages and exciting discoveries. These tell a rich story of continuous change and reinvention over thousands of years, much like that of the wider environs of Whitechapel and east London. Our evidence includes

• Iron Age dwellings and fields
• A medieval manor
• The earliest purpose-built playhouse in Britain called the Red Lion Playhouse
• Georgian taverns including the White Raven
• Victorian houses
• Brewing and bottle making industries

Building work at the site is now complete comprising a mixed development of flats and commercial units called The Silk District, owned by housing association L&Q. It features public open spaces designed in reference to the archaeology that once lay beneath. ASE and project partners are continuing to use the discoveries at Whitechapel to build community projects and partnerships in the area.

PATTERNS exhibition @ UCL East Culture Lab

Patterns Beneath Our Feet tells the story of the Whitechapel excavation; the people, the buildings, the objects, from the past, present and future. It celebrates the exciting discoveries made during the dig, from lost 16th century playhouse the Red Lion, to 17th and 18th century inn assemblages possibly related to the White Raven tavern. The latter especially has important connections to the history of Black Londoners. 

By working with community historians from East London, this project asked some wider questions about the public benefit of commercial archaeology and how archaeological sites are interpreted - and by whom.

Visit the displays of artefacts and stories at the UCL East Culture Lab, or scroll down for the online exhibition, featuring creative performances and more information.

Remember Us - Alim Kamara

The White Raven was one of the taverns from which members of London’s Black community began coerced journeys of resettlement to West Africa in 1786. Over 400 people sailed to the newly-established colony of Sierra Leone as part of a project arranged by an organisation calling themselves The Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor. It was a journey of intense hardship, which only 315 survived. British-Sierra Leonean storyteller Alim Kamara was inspired by their stories.

Tower Hamlets March - Anneke Scott

During the Whitechapel excavations ASE archaeologists discovered a copper-alloy mouthpiece for a French horn, dating to the second half of the 18th century. In this video, Anneke Scott, a leading exponent of historical horn playing, performs the Tower Hamlets March, a piece documented in an 18th-century horn tutor book. Could this have been a piece played at the multiple taverns in the area?

Red Lion Playhouse Reconstruction

What did the Red Lion Playhouse, the earliest purpose-built playhouse in England, look like? In this video we take you through the process of reconstruction, starting with the archaeological site plan. Working with lead archaeologist Stephen White and other specialists in historic buildings and early theatres, ASE Illustrator Hannah Faux built up the elements of the playhouse to create this 3D reconstruction.

Silk District Heritage Walk

Explore the Hidden Histories of the Silk District (as the site is now known) with our self paced walking tour! This short wander around the site stops at all the archaeologically sensitive landscaping and explores what once lay beneath. You can download the Heritage Walk below, with different versions depending if you want to print it as a leaflet or view it on a phone or tablet screen (digital).

Project Team

Publications

• White, S, 2020 Introducing the excavation at Stepney Way, Whitechapel, London Archaeologist, 15(12), pp. 34-349
• White, S, 2020 Finding the Red Lion: the latest on the earliest playhouse found in Whitechapel, London Archaeologist, 16(2), pp. 44-46
• White, S, & Rayner, L, 2024 A Middle Iron Age Settlement in Whitechapel: Excavations on Stepney Way, London and Middlesex Archaeological Society Transactions, 74, pp. 35-62
• Baptiste Halliday, M, du Boulay, D, Cumberbatch, H, Tomsett, F &  Wolferstan, S, 2025 Theatres of Resistance: buried stories and black radicalism at London’s earliest playhouses and tavern, British Archaeology, 203, pp.19–27
• Wolferstan, S, In press Community Archaeology in Whitechapel, London Archaeologist

Events

Upcoming/ ongoing

• PATTERNS exhibit at UCL culture lab

Past

• Festival of Archaeology 2025 Site Walking Tour

News and stories

• Introducing Whitechapel Central: A Large, Multi-Period site in London
• Discovering Early London at Whitechapel Central
• Whitechapel Post-Excavation Work Underway
• The 'Whole' Picture - complete finds from Whitechapel Central
• Winter fun - 'Cold' finds from Whitechapel Central