Overview
Spitalfields takes its name from the medieval Priory and Hospital of St Mary Spital, founded in 1197. From the 1680s it became the heart of London’s silk weaving industry, settled by Huguenot refugees fleeing persecution in France, who built the elegant Georgian houses on Fournier, Wilkes, and Princelet Streets that still define the area today.
Talk to us
Looking for a home in Spitalfields? Speak to Jane Wood & Associates for a discreet, highly personalised search shaped around your priorities.
Our Insight
Spitalfields suits buyers seeking impressive period architecture in a historic east London setting. The market for these listed Georgian houses is small and tightly held, with the finest examples rarely appearing on the open market.
Why live in Spitalfields
- One of the best-preserved collections of early Georgian houses in Britain, on streets including Fournier, Wilkes, Elder, and Princelet.
- Old Spitalfields Market, with its mix of independent traders, antiques, and food stalls.
- A remarkable layered history, from Huguenot weavers to Jewish and Bangladeshi communities.
- Excellent connectivity, with Liverpool Street and Shoreditch High Street stations within easy walking distance.
- Easy access to the City, Shoreditch, and Brick Lane.
Property Landscape
The finest Georgian terraces, on Fournier Street, Wilkes Street, and Princelet Street, retain exceptional original features including the distinctive large weavers’ windows built to maximise light for the looms. Many of these houses are listed and require careful, sympathetic restoration. Beyond the core Georgian streets, a number of well-converted warehouse and commercial buildings offer a more contemporary alternative.
Spitalfields Highlights
- Old Spitalfields Market, a covered Victorian market hall with independent traders, antiques, and food stalls, trading since the 17th century.
- Christ Church Spitalfields, Nicholas Hawksmoor’s celebrated English Baroque masterpiece, completed in 1729.
- Dennis Severs’ House on Folgate Street, an extraordinary recreated Georgian interior depicting the life of a Huguenot weaving family.
- The Ten Bells pub on Commercial Street, one of the area’s oldest and most atmospheric public houses.
- Brick Lane, with its curry houses and weekend market, on the area’s eastern edge.
Local Alumni
The artists Gilbert and George have lived and worked at their house on Fournier Street for decades, its interior featuring in many of their early works. Tracey Emin has also been closely associated with the area. The writer Jeanette Winterson converted a derelict Georgian house into an organic food shop as part of the Slow Food movement.
Education & Connectivity
Spitalfields is well placed for schools across Tower Hamlets and the City fringe. Liverpool Street station provides the Central, Circle, Hammersmith and City, and Metropolitan lines, plus the Elizabeth line and national rail services, while Shoreditch High Street Overground station is also within easy walking distance.
Talk to us about Spitalfields
- Local Expertise: With over 25 years of experience as London buying agents, we understand the architectural and conservation nuances of Spitalfields’ historic streets.
- Exclusive Off-Market Access: The finest Georgian houses in Spitalfields rarely reach the open market. Our network means we hear about them early.
- Professional Negotiation: We negotiate exclusively on your behalf, ensuring you secure the right property at the right price with complete confidence.