Tower Buildings
TOWER BUILDINGS, BREWHOUSE LANE E1
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1260132
- Date first listed:
- 01-Apr-1983
- List Entry Name:
- Tower Buildings
- Statutory Address:
- TOWER BUILDINGS, BREWHOUSE LANE E1
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-10-23
- Reference:
- IOE01/04799/19
- Rights:
- © Mr Colin Carron. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1260132
- Date first listed:
- 01-Apr-1983
- List Entry Name:
- Tower Buildings
- Statutory Address 1:
- TOWER BUILDINGS, BREWHOUSE LANE E1
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- TOWER BUILDINGS, BREWHOUSE LANE E1
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Tower Hamlets (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 34876 80137
Details
BREWHOUSE LANE E1 1. 4431 TQ 3480 22/1 Wapping Tower Buildings II
2. 1864 'erected by the Improved Industrial Dwellings Company". A tenement block of rather more intricate plan type than usual. Five storeys with rusticated stucco ground floor, splayed corners to returns. Single bay blocks of stock brick flank the north elevation with a 2 bay similar block to centre. Stuccoed elevations of 7 narrow arcaded stucco bays, set back and screened by superimposed balcony- galleries still with Regency pattern ironwork of diagonal geometric design, carried on cast iron girders and slender iron shafts and set on roof terrace. The stairs to centre of each gallery set in shallow semi-circular well running behind central blind archway of arcade through which rises full height dust shoot. Passage entries to flats on south side at each end of gallery arcade. Windows on projecting blocks have stucco architraves with cornices on consoles and block pediments. 1860 ornate cast iron work flower guards to first floor. Casement windows. South elevation has complex rhythm of single and paired bays projecting from 5 sided well recesses. Moulded brick cornice. Casement windows. Of special interest as a now extremely rare example of early metropolitan working class housing. Probablyfthe designs of W Allen, and promoted by Alderman Sydney Waterlow, founder of the profit-waking "Improved Industrial Dwelling Company" (1863, one year before the erection of this block. The company was to house labourers for the rest of the century). The plan breaks from the courtyard type most popular in early dwelling blocks (1840's onwards) in favour of a block with better ventilation. For the sane reason lavatories are placed at the back of the flats, instead of next to the entrance, as previously. Historic interest as an early example of its kind.
Listing NGR: TQ3487680137
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 441612
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 21-Jun-2026 at 06:35:20.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.