Building Surveys also known as Structural Surveys, Property Defect Reports , Building Disputes Surveys,
We have written this article for you to read and enjoy and to give you an insight into one of London's popular markets. Before you start to read it we would like to tell you a little about ourselves.
We are Independent Surveyors that carry out Building Surveys in East London including areas such as Hackney, Spitalfields, Whitechapel, Bethnal Green, Wapping and London Docklands. We also do valuations and schedules of condition on commercial properties in and around the Brick Lane Market area.
As Surveyors we probably pay more attention to properties around us than most people do even when we are not surveying them! We always recommend lifting your line of sight above eye level as there are some beautiful buildings to be seen and ones that most people miss as they rush about with their daily life. Surveyor tours are something that we would like to introduce. These would explain the architectural styles and details that we see when carrying out Building Surveys. We are also happy to walk a client around an area that we know as well as explaining the results of the structural survey of their house, office or shop.
Brick Lane market is situated in the East End of London and is one of the most popular street markets in the area.
A: Attractions
Brick Lane market in East London is not far from many of London 's greatest attractions. River cruises are available nearby that allow you to see the sights from the River Thames including views of the London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and more! East London itself is also well known for its walking tours. Be guided by a real Shakespearian actor to learn about the life of the playwright, William Shakespeare, or take a slightly more macabre tour around the streets of Whitechapel to learn about the infamous serial killer, Jack the Ripper and the scenes of his gruesome murders.
B: Brick Lane
Formerly known as Whitechapel Lane , Brick Lane received its name from the brick and tile industry that used the local brick earth deposits in the 15th century. Brick Lane in the last century has become a popular home for the British Bangladeshi community and is famous for its wide range of curry houses, which are reputed to be some of the best in London . As Surveyors we often carry out Commercial Building Surveys on all forms of restaurants and cafes in the form of property Reports and Schedules of Condition.
C: Columbia Road Flower Market
The Columbia Road Flower market is open every Sunday and sells a wide variety of flowers and foliage. As it is within walking distance of Brick Lane market it is something not to miss! This market sells anything and everything ranging from small bedding plants to 10-foot tall Banana Trees.
D: Docklands
The London Docklands is the name given to describe the commercial and residential development area that also contains popular London landmarks, such as the Canary Wharf and the O2 Arena. The Docklands were once part of the Port of London , once the largest port in the world. However all of London's docks were closed between 1960 and 1980 because they could not support the larger container vessels. Today the redevelopment of the area has seen it become a very desirable place to live and work.
E: Everything and anything!
Brick Lane market is well known for being a market that sells almost everything. It sells food, furniture, electronics, antiques and everything in between. For many years it even contained a stall selling nothing but rusty cogs, and because of this it has become a popular place for people seeking to make unusual discoveries.
F: Food
Inside the Boiler House Food Hall located on Brick Lane , you will find a wide variety of food from many different countries and cultures. Take your pick from Japanese and Italian to Mediterranean and Asian fusion. The Boiler House is open from 11am-6pm on a Saturday, and 10am-5pm on a Sunday.
The Sunday Upmarket is a trendy market based in the Old Truman Brewery that sells a wide range of wares including vintage fashion items and accessories. The market is more popular because of its delicious food stalls that sell tasty bites including hand roasted Ethiopian coffees, Japanese Sweets, Spanish Paellas and fresh Sushi.
G: Gallery
Just a short trip from the market is the Whitechapel Gallery, a public art gallery located on the north of Whitechapel High Street. The Gallery is well-known for its youth education and outreach projects. The gallery was once the temporary home to the artwork of artist Pablo Picasso with his Guernica painting being exhibited there for two weeks in 1939.
H: History
Brick Lane market was developed in the 17th century and primarily sold fruit and vegetables outside the city, along with a small selection of bric-a-brac. Brick Lane has been home to many different cultures throughout history, from French Protestants in the 15th century, followed by Jews in the 17th century, and in the last century it has become the heart of the British Bangladeshi community.
I: Independent Surveyors
As Independent Surveyors we have carried out a variety of different surveys in the Tower Hamlets area of London including Residential Building Surveys and also Commercial Surveys. If you are buying a house or business in and around the Brick Lane Market area then call us for a truly independent opinion, we are not influenced by Banks, Building Societies or Estate Agents!
Why you have never seen any building surveys or structural surveys like ours
J: Jubilee
The Queen's Jubilee of 2012 was the Diamond Jubilee celebrating 60 years of our monarchs reign. The event was celebrated across London from June 2 nd to June 5 th and featured events such as the Thames Jubilee pageant, the Red Arrows fly-past and the BBC concert at Buckingham Palace . The Diamond Jubilee has only ever been celebrated twice in our country's history, the first being for Queen Victoria in 1897.
K: Kings and Queens (pearly ones!)
Pearly Kings and Queens are part of London 's history. East London is where the buttons (pearls) were mass produced in factories for the suits the Kings and Queens wore. Pearlies, as they are called, are traditionally associated with cockneys. The pearly royalty always have and continue to work to raise money for charity.
L: Liverpool Street Station
Liverpool Street Station is the closest underground railway to Brick Lane , and is one of the most famous and busiest stations in London and the whole of the UK . The station became fully operational on the 1 st November 1875, and runs today with a total of 18 platforms and around 50 million visitors a year.
M: Monica Ali
Monica Ali is the author of the book Brick Lane , a novel based in Brick Lane . The novel is about the Bangladeshi community of Brick Lane , and focuses on the life of one girl's struggles in this area of London . The novel was published in June 2003, and in 2007 was adapted in to a film with the same name.
N: Night Market
Just off of Brick Lane is the location of a fantastic night market known as Streetfeast. It is a collaboration of street food venders selling their delicacies every Friday evening from 5pm until midnight throughout the summer months. It is a unique dining experience with wines and beers also sold and tables and waitress service thrown in!
O: Old Truman Brewery
The Old Truman Brewery (formerly the Black Eagle Brewery), is an office and entertainment complex situated around Brick Lane . The Brewery has been redeveloped over a period of fifteen years and is now home to several exclusive independent, shops, bars, restaurants and art galleries. Over the years we have been involved in various redevelopment projects and have carried out Commercial Building Surveys such as Schedules of Condition.
What does a surveyor do on a structural survey?
P: Petticoat Lane Market
Petticoat Lane Market is less than a mile from Brick Lane, located on Wentworth Street and Middlesex Street . The Market was only formerly established as a market in 1936, even though the Market had been around for hundreds of years, meaning it is possibly one of the oldest markets in Britain. Petticoat Lane Market is primarily recognised as a fashion and clothing market, with generally over 1000 stalls running on a Sunday.
Q: Queen Mary University
Queen Marys University is one of the UKs top universities. It has five campuses in London including one at Mile End and one at Whitechapel both of which are close to Brick Lane Market
R: Rootmaster Vegan Bustaurant
This one of a kind Vegan restaurant housed within an old red London Routemaster bus, hence the name, was opened to promote healthy living. Parked only a short walk from Brick Lane in Elys Yard at the Old Truman Gallery the bus is equipped with a fully operational kitchen.
S: Street musicians
Brick lane always has steeet musicains playing a variety of diffent music styles in the market. This adds to the lively atmosphere and has helped to make the market one of the most popular in east London
T: Tower Hamlets
Brick Lane market is situated in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Tower Hamlets is also home to a large area of the newly refurbished docklands, including the major business district Canary Wharf and the West India docks.
U: Underground
The London Underground is one of the largest and busiest train systems in the world. There are 75 lines running within it and it serves 275 stations. The Tube as it is also known, because of the tube shaped tunnels that the trains use to navigate around London , is the easiest way for tourists to see the Capital. Underground Stations close to Brick Lane include, Aldgate, Aldgate East and Liverpool Street .
V: Vibe Bar
The Vibe Bar is located in the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane . The Vibe Bar is decorated in a shabby chic style with furniture that has seen better days and walls that have been artistically decorated with graffiti! When the music gets too much, or fresh air is required then there is a large cobbled courtyard outside which is perfect for relaxing with a cheap drink and some food from the Barbecue.
W: Whitechapel High Street
Whitechapel High Street is a road in the East End of London. The High street is surrounded by various hotels, restaurants, bars and events, ranging from 10-pin bowling at All-Start Lanes to fine Indian cuisine at the Kasturi Restaurant. The Whitechapel High Street is now connected to the A11, although historically it was part of the road leading from London to Colchester .
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X: Xmas in London
London is famous for its Christmas Lights that usually get switched on by a favourite celebrity every year. Regents Street and Oxford become filled with people waiting for what has become a special occasion.
An event closer to Brick Lane Market is the East London Design Show held in Shoreditch. Just before Christmas over one hundred independent designers sell their wares offering original jewellery, home wares, fashion and toys.
Y: Years of Immigration History
The area around Brick Lane has a rich history of immigration. In the 16 th Century many Spanish immigrants were attracted to the area. These were followed by the Huguenots in the 17th century escaping historical persecution. Later Jewish settlers made the area their home after they too faced persecution in Northern Europe . Today the main immigrants are from Asia especially from Bangladesh .
Z: Zero Energy Development
Bow-ZED is a block of four zero fossil fuel homes in the Bow area of East London not far from Petticoat Lane Market. This development was one of the first Eco Housing Projects built in London . The homes require no central heating because of their heavy insulation and thermal mass and in summer months they remain cooler for the same reasons. During our building surveys we often come across problems regarding thermal gain and thermal loss especially with modern lightweight construction properties.
Brick Lane Market is very easy to reach via public transport both by train and by bus.
Brick Lane by Train / The Tube - There are three London Underground Stations within walking distance of the market and one mainline station.
1. Aldgate Tube Station
2. Aldgate East Tube station
3. Shoreditch Tube Station
4. Liverpool Street (mainline)
Brick Lane Market by Bus – There are many buses that stop near Brick Lane , these include;
8 – Bow to Oxford Circus
26 – Hackney Wick to Waterloo
35 – Clapham Junction to Shoreditch
135 – Old Street to the Isle of Dogs .
Brick Lane Market by Car – Driving into London can be difficult but there is a car park only a few minutes' walk from Brick Lane Market at Spitalfields Car Park, Eden House , Spital Square, Spitalfields, London E1 6DX.
Sutton House in Hackney
National trust attractions in other parts of London:
Fenton House in Hampstead
Carlyle House in Chelsea
Ham House and Garden in Richmond
Blue Plaque at 91 Ashfield Street, Whitechapel. The founder of Tesco Sir Jack Cohen (1898 – 1979) grew up here.
St Mary Spital Charnel House, Spitalfields
Jewel Tower, Eastminster
Wellington Arch, Hyde Park Corner
Apsley House, Hyde Park Corner
We hope you enjoyed our article on Brick Lane Market and our comments from an Independent Surveyors point of view. Here are some links to some other articles that we have written and that may be of interest you.
We survey buildings in East London. Our independent surveyors are experienced and qualified and produce high quality surveys including Structural surveys, Building surveys and valuations on both residential and commercial properties. We use surveyors who are experienced with old properties, many having direct hands on experience of working on listed buildings. Equally we understand newer construction, it may look the same to the untrained eye but performs very differently and we would say is built to a price not a quality standard. We also survey buildings that have been altered and extended both with and without planning permission and building regulations. We solve and deal with building disputes and can also help you with your extension and alteration design work.
If you are purchasing a property in East London please ensure that you have a building survey carried out on it. A building survey, prepared by a chartered building surveyor could literally save you thousands of pounds. The survey only needs to uncover one potential problem with the property and the cost of the building survey is more than recovered.
If you book a building survey in East London with 1st Associated surveyors you will find that we take great pride in the quality of our building survey and produce a very detailed building survey report, whether it be for a residential property or a commercial property. We use plain English in our building surveys to explain any problems with the property to ensure that you understand the problems and how to resolve them.
We are independent surveyors who carry out building surveys in East London. We are independent of any lender or bank or mortgage company. When we are surveying a property we are working for you, not them. This means we are working towards your best interests. We want to ensure that your property investment is sound and that you are receiving value for money.
We are independent building surveyors that operate throughout the UK. As building surveyors we are often asked to work on not only a residential building survey but also a boundary walls dispute survey or or a specific defects survey if you have a problem with dampness or cracking in your property for example.
We are also commercial building surveyors, we can provide schedule of condition survey, property report, dilapidations report and a commercial building survey - our independent building surveyors have the skills and experience to save you money on your commercial building purchase.
We have a wealth of experience in providing Building Surveys to make sure you are buying the right property and providing market Valuations to ensure that you are buying the property at the right price. If you have any particular property problems we can carry out a Specific Defects Report.
Call us today on free phone 0800 298 5424 to discuss the services we offer. We are more than happy to talk about what the Building Surveys involve, these are also sometimes known as Structural Surveys or Engineers Reports.
References
Whilst most of this is written from local knowledge of the area, here are some websites that we think may interest you, some of which we have used for information and we would like to give them credit for this. We are only human so if there are any amendments or additions or updates we would be pleased to receive your feedback so we can keep our website up to date.
visitlondon.com, english-heritage.org.uk, nationaltrust.org.uk, londontown.com, alondonguide.com, trumanbrewery.com, networkrail.co.uk, visitthecity.co.uk, 365tickets.com, boilerhouse-foodhall.co.uk, vibe -bar.co.uk, visit bricklane .org, allinlondon.co.uk, .the bricklane gallery.com