home
The Zeppelin Shelter is situated two minutes walk from Aldgate East tube station on the corner of Alie and Leman Street.
Originally built as the Black Horse to commemorate Dick Turpin’s mount and his exploits of stealing horses in the area in the 1730’s. The pub was purpose built in 1894 and has seen many changes over the years.
The area has nearly always been a home to immigrants, because of the close proximity of the Thames and the Docks. Persecuted religions from all over the world have taken refuge in the area including Huguenots, Jews and Lutherans. Established in 1732, St George’s Chapel opposite was built for the disaffected German Lutherans and served the refugee German Jews in WW2. The area became famous for sugar refinery boasting several German run factories on Alie Street.
The word Leman in archaic English means Lover, Sweetheart or Mistress and became synonymous with local prostitution and the likes of Jack the Ripper in Victorian Times. On the opposite corner stands the Old Dispensary erected in 1858 to provide medication for poor unfortunates, now housing a fine food restaurant.
1914 brought the Great War and where the pub takes its name, being damaged in World War 1 by the five Zeppelin airship raid on Aldgate and the City in 1915, which resulted in a rebuild in 1917. Luckily on the opposite corner stood a margarine warehouse, part of the Great Eastern Railway Offices built of steel girders and concrete which acted successfully as an air raid shelter during both World Wars.
The 1930’s saw Leman Street used for running battles between the locals and Fascist extremists who were persecuting the local Jews, culminating with the ‘battle of Cable Street’ at the bottom of Leman Street.
The massive rebuilding projects in the 1950’s and 1960’s saw the City spreading out of the square mile and the area becoming famous for ‘insurance’ firms, namely for shipping. Alie Street boasts Jutland House named after the Great Sea Battle of WW1 and where local lad ‘Jack’ Cornwell gave his life.
A short walk away from the tranquility of the Zeppelin, you will find the popular bustling local sites like Brick Lane, Petticoat Lane market, Bhangra Town, Spitafields and The Whitechapel Gallery.