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Limehouse is a place in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is on the northern bank of the River Thames opposite Rotherhithe and between Shadwell to the west and the Isle of Dogs to the east. Geographically, Limehouse is commonly thought to be centred on Narrow Street and the Limehouse Basin. It gives its name to Limehouse Reach, a lengthy section of the Thames which actually runs all the way from Shadwell to Millwall. History
From its earliest days, Limehouse, like neighbouring Wapping, has followed the sea. This was one of London's most important ports from late medieval times, with extensive docks and wharves, including the enclosed Limehouse Basin. Limehouse Basin was actually opened in 1820 as the Regent's Canal Dock. It was an important connection between the Thames and the British canal system where cargoes could be transferred from larger ships to the shallow-draught canal boats. This mix of vessels can still be seen in the basin, canal narrow boats rubbing shoulders with sea-going yachts. The dock basin with its marina is still a working facility. The same is not true of those wharf buildings that have survived, most of which are now highly desirable residential properties. The Limehouse area was also notorious for opium dens in the late 19th century. This notion of Limehouse as a lurid, crime-ridden area was often featured in pulp fiction works by Sax Rohmer and others. Like much of the East End it was a focus for immigration, particularly by Chinese people. As the community prospered it moved west to the current Chinatown in Soho. On 30 July, 1909 the Chancellor of the Exchequer David Lloyd George made a polemical speech in Limehouse attacking the House of Lords for its opposition to his "People's Budget". This speech was the origin of the phrase "To Limehouse", or "Limehousing", which meant an incendiary political speech. The area inspired Douglas Furber (lyricist) and Phillip Braham (composer) in 1921 to write the popular jazz standard "Limehouse Blues" which was introduced by Jack Buchanan and Gertrude Lawrence in the musical revue "A to Z". Much later, it was reprised in the ballet "Limehouse Blues" featuring Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer in the musical film Ziegfeld Follies (1946). In both instances the actors were heavily disguised as Chinese. On January 25, 1981 MPs Shirley Williams, Roy Jenkins, William Rodgers and David Owen made the Limehouse Declaration from Owen's house in Limehouse, which announced the formation of the Council for Social Democracy in opposition to the granting of block votes to the trade unions in the Labour Party to which they had previously belonged. They soon became leading politicians in the Social Democratic Party. Today Limehouse is arguably one of the most sought after residential areas in the London Docklands and has been described by local estate agents as the Kensington and Chelsea of East London. The success of the area can be attributed to it's mix of historical buildings and contemporary developments with views over the Thames and Limehouse Basin, it's prime location in the middle of the City and Canary Wharf, the area's upmarket restaurants and bars and finally it's excellent transport links with high-frequency DLR, Tube, Bus and River Boat services all in close proximity. Research Tips
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