property, homes and houses for sale in Poplar

Once the home of the 'have-nots', Poplar could now justifiably add a silent 'U' to its name.

Living in Poplar

Poplar lies south of Bow and north of Canary Wharf in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Massive redevelopment on the Isle of Dogs in the 1980s and '90s resulted in Poplar's streets of Victorian cottages, Edwardian terraces and post-war council estates having a view of gleaming office and residential tower blocks, and a strong feeling of 'them and us'.

Thankfully, the knock-on effect of docklands regeneration has spread into Poplar. The area is now an attractive mix of traditional terraced housing, renovated boats moored in Poplar Dock Marina, delightful warehouse conversions, attractive new-build townhouses and low-rise apartment blocks.

One of Poplar's most famous attractions is the Ragged School Museum. It houses photographs, documents and many other artefacts connected with the lives of the children who attended Dr Barnado's free ragged day schools in the late 1800s.

Local canals are busy again, no longer transporting coal and copper but attracting anglers, ramblers and tourist barges. On Poplar's western border is Limehouse Basin where there is an attractive forest of masts complemented by Marina Heights, a block of superior apartments offering stunning views.

Travel a couple of hops on DLR into Docklands and you will find a well-equipped shopping centre, numerous bars, cafés and restaurants. At India Quay there is a multi-screen cinema and further south is the London Arena.

The DLR also stops near the Crossharbour Superstore and the green expanse of Mudchute Park in Cubitt Town.

Transport

There are DLR stations at All Saints on the A13 East India Dock Road and 'Poplar' to the south by the A1261 Aspen Way, which forms the link between Blackwall Tunnel and the Limehouse Link Tunnel.

Docklands Light Railway provides Poplar with direct routes to Bank, Canary Wharf, across the Thames to Lewisham, and north to Stratford.

For information regarding bus routes that serve Poplar and for DLR timetables please visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/default.aspx.

Stratford railway station, easily accessible by DLR, is run by National Express East Anglia trains, serving stations en route to Norwich.

Stratford International Station is part of the Eurostar Channel Tunnel Rail Link and is scheduled to open in 2009.

For details of train services throughout the UK please visit http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/.

London City Airport lies east of Poplar and can be reached via DLR. For information regarding flights please visit http://www.londoncityairport.com/.

History and culture

St Matthias Old Church, built by the East India Company in 1654, is on Poplar High Street opposite Tower Hamlets College of Further Education and next to Poplar Town Hall. Nearby is Poplar Bowls Club, which lies within Poplar Recreation Ground.

A sports centre called The Workhouse stands on the site of Poplar's Workhouse where local politician and campaigner for workers' rights, William Crooks, spent a brief period of his childhood in the early 1860s.

For current information regarding Poplar please visit http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/.