The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has devised a programme of redevelopment to restore the gardens and bandstand at Arnold Circus, just off Shoreditch High Street in east London. As part of the scheme, archaeologists from the Museum of London will carry out archaeological work, including a community excavation for the children of Virginia Primary School, Shoreditch. The excavation will take place from Monday 29th June until Friday 3rd July.

The site of Arnold Circus consists of a raised mound with gardens and an old bandstand on the top. The archaeologists will work with the children of Virginia Primary School to investigate the material that makes up the mound. Does the mound contain the remains of slums demolished in the 18th century?

History of the site

The site has an interesting recent history. In 1890, the London County Council cleared the existing 18th-century slum, known as the Old Nichol, in the area surrounding Arnold Circus. A new housing scheme, called the Boundary Estate, was planned for the area and this was completed in 1900. The estate had Arnold Circus at its centre. The layout was unusual for its time as it provided open space and was based on a road pattern. The surrounding buildings were designed for the site and related architecturally with one another. As such, the estate provided the inspiration of many later housing developments.

Find out more about Arnold Circus on our community excavation pages