Chrisp Street Market Clock Tower

Chrisp Street Market Clock Tower is a brick tower structure at Market Square in Poplar that rises above the surrounding shops and buildings. The working clock faces are mounted on the tower and visible from the street below.

The tower was built between 1949 and 1952 as part of the Lansbury Estate project designed by architect Frederick Gibberd. It was created for the Festival of Britain exhibition, a showcase for post-war recovery and modern design.

The clock tower marks the center of Britain's first purpose-built pedestrian shopping district. People naturally gather around it as they move between shops, making it the social heart of the neighborhood.

The clock tower is located in Poplar and can be reached on foot from All Saints DLR Station nearby. The best views come from walking through the shopping square itself, where the tower rises clearly above the shops around it.

The tower was part of an experimental urban design scheme meant to serve as a model for rebuilding across London after the war. Few visitors realize this site once attracted architects from around the world who came to study the innovative approach to post-war British planning.

Location: London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Architects: Frederick Gibberd

GPS coordinates: 51.51241,-0.01405

Latest update: December 14, 2025 18:43