Bermondsey East

Bermondsey East sits within the London Borough of Southwark and combines residential streets with buildings that once served local industry. Rows of converted warehouses and brick railway arches now hold studios, workshops and small retailers. The area is known for Bermondsey Square, where an antiques market takes place on Fridays, and for Bermondsey Spa Gardens, a public green laid out on the site of an 18th-century spa. Jamaica Road and local side streets form the main movement corridors, with council facilities, primary schools and community centres dispersed through the ward.

Street-level activity includes independent food stalls, furniture makers and art spaces that operate from former industrial premises. Short blocks and narrow lanes give way to small squares and pocket parks that punctuate the housing grid. Local planning reflects the area’s industrial past, with many buildings retaining structural details such as loading bays and hoists adapted for new uses. Day-to-day life is shaped by these reused spaces, the weekly market, and a patchwork of services aimed at long-term residents and newer arrivals.