Archaeology South-East showcases one of its London sites:

Archaeology South East UCL's Institute of Archaeology has partnered with UCL East's Culture Lab to hold an exhibition for a year from June. The exhibition will be open to the public on Wednesday afternoons from 1400-1700 until May 2026.

As part of the festival, we will have a special event at the Culture Lab (UCL East Marshgate, 7 Sidings Street, Stratford, London E20 2AE - Stratford Station) during which members of our team will guide you through the exhibition (10-1630), show you some finds you can handle, and answer questions on the site and our community engagement project (see separate listing for more details).

In the afternoon join us for a site tour at the Silk District site (132 Cavell St, London E1 2JA - Whitechapel Tube), see the completed development, to see how the site's archaeology and history has been included in the new buildings and public spaces (1700-1800).

Background to the project

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, Victorian houses, and finally industry: brewing and bottle making. Building work at the site is now complete comprising a mixed development of flats and commercial units called The Silk District, delivered by Mount Anvil in partership with L&Q housing, and is now owned by Avon. 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. Check our blog to find out more about the site and some of our finds.