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{{redirect|Tower Hamlets|
The 'London Borough of Tower Hamlets' is a London borough to the east of the City of London, England and north of the River Thames in East London. It includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks and Canary Wharf. Many of the tallest buildings in London are located on the Isle of Dogs in the south of the borough.
Tower Hamlets is one of five London boroughs which have been designated host boroughs for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Contents

Geography and Administration

Civic History

Politics

Parliament

Greater London Assembly

Local council

Physical Geography

Areas within the borough

History

Local landmarks

Historical landmarks

Modern landmarks

Demographics

Economic Profile

Education

Infants and nursery schools

Primary schools

Secondary schools

Further education colleges

Universities

Sports and Leisure

The Olympics

Parks in Tower Hamlets

Museums

References

External links

Geography and Administration

Civic History

The name "Tower Hamlets" was historically applied to the Tower division of the county of Middlesex, covering not only the present borough, but also part of the present-day London Borough of Hackney. The Constable of the Tower of London had special jurisdiction over the area from the 16th century until 1889. Inhabitants of Tower Hamlets were originally required to provide yeomen for the Tower of London. Later the Constable became Lord Lieutenant of the area, raising and organising the local militia. Under the Reform Act 1832 the area became a parliamentary borough. The name continued to be used for constituencies until 1918.
The borough was formed in 1965, and took this historic name, through amalgamation of the former metropolitan boroughs of Bethnal Green, Poplar and Stepney. These boroughs were the heart of the East End of London.

Politics

Parliament

For the most recent election to Parliament, the Borough was split into two constituencies:

★ Bethnal Green & Bow, whose current incumbent is George Galloway (Respect), since the 2005 general election.

★ Poplar & Canning Town (which also takes in Canning Town in the neighbouring London Borough of Newham), represented by Jim Fitzpatrick (Labour), since the 1997 general election, when the constituency was formed.
The constituencies for the next election will be:

★ Bethnal Green & Bow

★ Poplar & Limehouse (which will be then entirely within the borough of Tower Hamlets).
The Borough is a part of the London constituency for election to the European Parliament.

Greater London Assembly

The borough lies within the City and East constituency, and is represented by John Biggs, Labour.

Local council

The controlling and majority group is Labour. Since the May 2006 local elections, the composition has been:

Party	councillors
Labour	26
Respect	12
Conservative	7
Liberal Democrats	6

Details of individual ward councillors can be found at the Borough's ward pages (below)^[1].

Physical Geography

Tower Hamlets is located to east of the City of London and north of the River Thames in East London. The London Borough of Hackney lies to the north of the borough while the River Lee forms the boundary with the London Borough of Newham in the east. The River Lee also forms the boundary between those parts of London historically in Middlesex, with those formerly in Essex.
The Isle of Dogs is formed from the lock entrances to the former West India Docks and the largest current meander of the River Thames and the southern part of the borough forms a part of the historic flood plain of the River Thames^[2]; and but for the Thames Barrier and other flood prevention works would be vulnerable to flooding.
The Regent's Canal enters the borough from Hackney to meet the River Thames at Limehouse Basin. A stretch of the Hertford Union Canal leads from the Regent's canal, at a basin in the north of Mile End to join the River Lee at Old Ford. A further canal, Limehouse Cut, London's oldest, leads from locks at Bromley-by-Bow to Limehouse Basin. Most of the canal tow-paths are open to both pedestrians and cyclists.
Victoria Park was formed by Act of Parliament, and administered by the LCC and its successor authority the GLC. Since the latter authority's abolition, the park has been administered by Tower Hamlets.

Areas within the borough

Areas included in the borough:

★ Bethnal Green ★ Blackwall ★ Bow ★ Bromley-by-Bow ★ Cambridge Heath ★ Cubitt Town ★ Globe Town ★ Isle of Dogs ★ Limehouse ★ Mile End

★ Millwall ★ Old Ford ★ Poplar ★ Ratcliff ★ Shadwell ★ Spitalfields ★ Stepney ★ Wapping ★ Whitechapel

History

''Tower Hamlets forms the main area of the East End of London, more detailed local histories should be available for each of the districts (above) within Tower Hamlets.''

Local landmarks

Historical landmarks

★ Tower of London

★ site of two historic Royal Mints

★ Hawksmoor's Christ Church, Spitalfields

★ Victoria Park

★ Cable Street - site of the Battle of Cable Street

Modern landmarks

The Canary Wharf complex, within Docklands, on the Isle of Dogs forms a group of some of the tallest buildings in Europe. One Canada Square was the first to be constructed, and remains the tallest. Nearby are the HSBC Tower, Citigroup Centres and One Churchill Place, headquarters of Barclays Bank. Within the same complex are the Heron Quays offices.
The unusual Green Bridge, constructed in 2000, links sections of Mile End Park, that are divided by the Mile End Road. The bridge contains gardens, water features and trees around the path.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census key statistics for the borough include

★ a population of 196,106.

★ 52% are under 30, the highest percentage in England (average 38%)

★ 51% of the population is white, 33% Bangladeshi, 3% Black African and 3% black Caribbean.

★ 29% of the borough are owner–occupiers.

Economic Profile

At the 2001 census, the borough had the highest rate of unemployment in Great Britain at 12.7%.
Part of the borough is within the boundary of the Thames Gateway development area.

Education

37,500 pupils go to 98 schools in Tower Hamlets.
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is the local education authority for state schools within the borough^[3].

Infants and nursery schools

★ Alice Model ★ Blue Gate Fields ★ Children's House ★ Columbia Market

★ Cubitt Town ★ Elizabeth Selby ★ Harry Roberts ★ Old Church

★ Rachel Keeling ★ Seven Mills ★ Thomas Buxton

Primary schools

★ Arnhem Wharf ★ Bangabandhu ★ Ben Jonson ★ Bigland Green ★ Blue Gate Fields ★ Bonner ★ Bygrove ★ Canon Barnett ★ Cayley ★ Chisenhale ★ Christ Church C of E ★ Clara Grant ★ Columbia ★ Cubitt Town ★ Culloden ★ Cyril Jackson ★ English Martyrs RC ★ Globe ★ Guardian Angels RC ★ Hague ★ Halley ★ Harbinger ★ Harry Gosling

★ Hermitage ★ Holy Family RC ★ John Scurr ★ Kobi Nazrul ★ Lansbury Lawrence ★ Lawdale ★ Malmesbury ★ Manorfield ★ Marion Richardson ★ Marner ★ Mayflower ★ Mowlem ★ Old Ford ★ Old Palace ★ Olga ★ Osmani ★ Our Lady's ★ Redlands ★ Seven Mills ★ Shapla ★ Sir William Burrough ★ Smithy Street ★ St Agnes

★ St Anne's ★ St Edmund's ★ St Elizabeth's ★ St John's ★ St Luke's ★ St Mary & St Michael ★ St Matthias ★ St Paul's Whitechapel CE ★ St Paul's with St Luke's ★ St Peter's ★ St Saviour's ★ Stebon ★ Stepney Greencoat ★ Stewart Headlam ★ Thomas Buxton ★ Virginia ★ Wellington ★ William Davis ★ Woolmore

Secondary schools

★ Bethnal Green TC ★ Bishop Challoner (boys) ★ Bishop Challoner (girls) ★ Blessed John Roche (boys) ★ Bow boys ★ Central Foundation (Girls Lower) ★ Central Foundation (Girls Upper) ★ George Green's ★ Langdon Park ★ Morpeth

★ Mulberry (girls) ★ Oaklands ★ Raines Foundation ★ Sir John Cass Foundation & Redcoat ★ St Paul's Way ★ Stepney Green ★ Swanlea

Further education colleges

★ Tower Hamlets College

★ College of Technology London

Universities

★ Queen Mary, a constituent college of the University of London.

★ Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry

Sports and Leisure

Mile End Stadium, within Mile End Park hosts an athletics stadium, and facilities for football and basketball. The Sporting Bengal United F.C. team is based there.
A leisure centre including a swimming pool at Mile End Stadium was completed in 2006. Other pools are located at St Georges, Limehouse and York Hall, in Bethnal Green. York Hall is also a regular venue for boxing tournaments, and in May 2007 a public spa was opened, the only one of its kind in the country.

The Olympics

Tower Hamlets is one of five host boroughs for the 2012 Summer Olympics, with the Olympic Park to be constructed in the Lea Valley.

Parks in Tower Hamlets

Museums

★ The Island History Trust

★ The Museum in Docklands

★ The Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood

★ The Ragged School Museum

References

1. LBTH ward details accessed 31 Mar 2007
2. BBC on Thames floodplain accessed 31 Mar 2007
3. List of Education authority schools

External links

★ LBTH Ward data report (2005) ''information on Tower Hamlets at the Ward level''

★ Tower Hamlets Council

★ LBTH ''find your councillor''

★ Local area partnerships

★ East End Nightshots on jacktheripper.de

★ East London Markets

★ New Spitalfields Market

★ Old Spitalfields Market