Stepney

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Template:Infobox London place For the place in Adelaide, South Australia, see Stepney, South Australia.

Stepney is an inner-city district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is located 3.6 miles (5.8 km) east north-east of Charing Cross and forms part of the East End of London.

The area consists of mostly post-war high density housing and a few streets of terraced housing that escaped slum-clearance. There is light industry and a few warehouses although this is mostly in decline.

Commercial Road, part of the A13, passes through the area east to west. Stepney is served by Stepney Green tube station which takes its name from the open space Stepney Green.

The area has thusfar mostly escaped mass gentrification although the nearby areas of Whitechapel, Wapping, Limehouse and Mile End, which surround Stepney, are becoming increasingly redeveloped.

St Dunstan's is Stepney's oldest church.

1 History
2 Nearest places
3 Nearest stations
4 See also
5 Sources

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History

In 1085 Stepney was listed in the Domesday Book survey of England which was recorded in Old French, and whose translation includes:

III. The land of the Bishop of London

In 'Ossulstone' hundred the Bishop of London holds Stepney 32 hides. There is land for 25 ploughs. To the demesne belong 14 hides, and there are 3 ploughs; and 22 ploughs among the villans. There are 44 villans each on 1 virgate, and 7 villans each on half a hide, and 9 villans each on half a virgate, and 46 cottars on 1 hide: they pay 30s a year. There are 4 mills rendering £4.16s less 4d, meadow for 25 ploughs, pasture for the livestock of the vill and 15s, woodland for 500 pigs and 40s. In all it is worth £48: and when received, the same: £50. This manor belonged and belongs to the bishopric.

Bishop William held this land in demesne, in the manor of Stepney, on the day on which King Edward was alive and dead.

In the same vill Ranulph Flambard holds 31/2 hides of the bishop.

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