Old Kent Road
I'd left this one to last on my journey around the monopoly board, cursing the boardmakers' decision to include this far-flung road to nowhere. But the project wouldn't be complete without a trip to South East London and a stroll down the Old Kent Road. Stretching from the Elephant & Castle all the way to Lewisham this is the not the most scenic road on the board but it is the longest. With no tube or rail, the only thing that thrives here is the traffic on its way to Kent, hence the name probably.
The relentless urban landscape of tower blocks, garish superstores and downbeat shops is punctuated only by a few brief bursts of Georgian terraced housing. Much of this area was bombed in world war two and the re-development has not been impressive.
Old Kent Road
Whitechapel Road
Whitechapel is fascinating area where you can find the evidence of immigration and settlement of disparate communities with a common aim - to make a new life in London. There have been French Huguenots then a large influx of Jewish refugees in the late 19th century and more recently a large Bengali community. John Merrick, The Elephant Man was exhibited as a freak show in Whitechapel Road before being moved further down the road to the London Hospital where he later died and the area has at various times been rife with poverty, crime and prostitution. However, on a bright summer afternoon a stroll from one end to the other didn’t seem so bad. Landmarks to look out for include the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, Altab Ali park and the East London Mosque.
The entrance to Altab Ali park
