IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Arnold Circus, LONDON, E2 7JS

A view from the mound in the centre of Arnold Circus, taken on a damp October morning.

Arnold Circus was created in the late 1890s. The flats which surround it were built by the local authority, and it is claimed that these were the first council homes in the world to be built. The buildings are now Grade II listed.

Sandford House (formerly Sandford Buildings) is just one a number of blocks that make up the Boundary Estate, London's first local authority housing estate. A Grade II listed building, described at this https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1065292.

The bandstand on Arnold Circus, in the Boundary Estate. Looking north from Club Row. From Wikipedia: The Boundary Estate is a housing development, formally opened in 1900, in the East End of London, England. The estate, constructed from 1890, was one of the earliest social housing schemes, and was built by the London County Council as the world's first council housing, replacing the Friars Mount slum, the rubble of which was used to construct a mound in the middle of Arnold Circus at the centre of the development, housing a still extant bandstand. The estate consists of multi-storey brick structures, surrounding the central mound.

Hurley House is just one a number of blocks that make up the Boundary Estate, London's first local authority housing estate. A Grade II listed building, described at this https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1065288.

At its far end, Navarre Street has a T-junction with Boundary Street

Arnold Circus is at the centre of the Boundary Estate, built 1890-1900, which replaced a notorious slum district. It is thought to be the first example of a local authority housing scheme in the country. Wikipedia has a full history http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_Estate which doesn't however reveal who Arnold was.

The Old Nichol Street Rookery in Bethnal Green was one of the worst and most dangerous slums in Victorian London. The death rate was twice that of the rest of Bethnal Green, and four times that of London. One child in four died before his or her first birthday. A vigorous campaign took place from the 1880s to demolish the area and replace it with something far better. The Boundary Estate, constructed from 1890, was one of the earliest social housing schemes built by a local government authority. It was begun by the Metropolitan Board of Works and completed by the recently formed London County Council. It is, arguably, the world's first council housing. It was formally opened in 1900 by the Prince of Wales, soon to be Edward VIIth. The demolition rubble was used to construct a mound in the middle of Arnold Circus at the centre of the development, housing a bandstand which remains to this day. The estate consists of multi-storey brick tenements radiating from the central circus, which also has six roads radiating from it. The flats and bandstand are now Grade II listed.

Around the focal Arnold Circus in a development designed by Owen Fleming & W.E. Riley as lead architects with the LCC. Built 1894-1900 the Boundary Estate was opened by His Majesty King Edward VII and remains a paradigm of urban design with two schools, workshop terraces and retail shops along Calvert Avenue.

At Arnold Circus, Boundary Estate, London.