Some guests of spa hotels in London might be visiting for the shopping opportunities, others for the second to none art exhibitions across the city’s many galleries. Some, though, visit for the macabre history of the English capital. With its history of beheadings, vampire hunters, fires and plague pits, there’s plenty of darkness for spooky-slanted history buffs to sink their teeth into. One of the most famous episodes – or infamous to be precise – is the spree of Victorian serial killer Jack The Ripper.
Between the years of 1888 and 1891, Jack The Ripper is alleged to have murdered at least five sex workers in the Whitechapel area, and is thought to have murdered several others as well. As one of the first serial killers to gain widespread media attention, the murderer has become a household name, and has become a tourist attraction in his own right. Part of the reason for this is that his identity was never discovered, leading many to active participate and speculate upon the identity of the murderer over the years. The unknown identity is often capitalised on by tour groups and museums, encouraging visitors to put the pieces together.
Guests of luxury Edgware Road hotels in London can easily find tourist attractions and exhibitions dedicated to the killer. This blog will explore some of the locations and attractions where tourists can learn more about this infamous period of Victorian history.
Landmarks Associated With The Ripper
London’s East End is a busy, vibrant part of the city. Whilst walking through, you might easily forget that it was once a dark and dangerous slum in Victorian times. There are still landmarks that will bring you back to that terrifying period though.
Site of Mary Ann Nichols Murder
With her body found just behind Whitechapel Station, the person thought to be Jack The Ripper’s first victim was Mary Ann Nichols. It may not be much now, the area is a residential street of flats and a nearby sports centre, but it was once so infamous that the residents decided to change the name of the street from Buck’s Row to Durrard Street. It also houses a handy back entrance into the renovated Whitechapel Station.
Site of Annie Chapman’s Murder
Hanbury Street was the site of Annie Chapman’s murder in 1888. Again, nowadays, this is simply a residential street of apartments. However, Spitalfields City Farm is just around the corner and well worth a visit for London’s urban animal sanctuaries and allotments.
Site of Elizabeth Stride’s Murder
Once the site of the International Working Men’s Educational Club, Dutfield’s Yard has now been renamed Henriques Street. It’s still the site of another prominent victim of the ripper, but little can be seen in terms of a memorial or landmarks. The reason for this is that a school was built over the site. It’s doutbful therefore, that a place of education would want to be associated with a murder by one of the country’s most notorious serial killers.
Site of Catherine Eddowes’s Murder
Thought to have been attacked the same night as Stride, Eddowes remains were found on the corner of Mitre Square, close to Aldgate Station and a short walk from Henriques Street. Located just within the boundaries of the City of London ceremonial borough. Mitre Square is a stone’s throw from the famous skyscraper known as the Gherkin.
The Ten Bells Pub
On the corner of Commercial Street and Fournier Street, the Ten Bells Pub still stands as a haunting testament to Jack The Ripper. It’s thought to be the last place where Annie Chapman had her last drink before her murder, whilst various other victims were thought to have visited regualrly too. Perhaps Jack The Ripper was even a local! The Ten Bells Pub is still a popular boozer just off of Spitalfields, and is even said to be haunted. Though it’s worth noting that that is unrelated to Jack The Ripper’s killings.
Site of the Frying Pan Pub
What was once the Frying Pan Pub is now a set of apartments at the end of Brick Lane, one of the most popular shopping and nightlife streets in East London. This pub was once the local of Mary Ann Nichols, another victim of Jack The Ripper who was murdered in November 1888. Nichols’s body was found at her apartment, which is now a hotel on the corner of Thrawl Street.
St Leonard’s Church
St Leonard’s Church’s mortuary is the site at which Mary Kelly’s body was stored before her burial in Leyton. The church itself has a history dating back hundreds of years, it being one of the oldest sites of worship in London. Though the church that stands there now dates back to the 18th century, there is thought to have been a church that stood here as far back as Anglo Saxon England. This provides even more historic resonance to the church, which guests of 5 star hotels in Edgware London can still visit to this day.
Other Places Of Interest
As you can see from the above, not all the sites of the Jack The Ripper murders are as poignant as they once were. There are, however, a range of museums and tours that guests of the Montcalm Marble Arch Hotel can visit to learn more about the history and legends of Jack The Ripper.
The London Dungeons
The London Dungeons on the South Bank is an immersive, history tour of London’s more macabre moments. From the Black Plague to the Great Fire of London, a standout feature is the Jack The Ripper segment of the tour, where you’ll meet the landlady of the Ten Bells pub.
Jack The Ripper Walking Tours
There are many walking tours of Jack The Ripper’s haunts, often guided by professional historians and Jack The Ripper experts. Whether you’re looking for a ghost tour or you want to solve the crime yourself, there’s a different unique walk that you can take.
