Tower Hill is located between the areas of Wapping and Whitechapel in the East London borough of Tower Hamlets. The Tower Hill area can be described as infamous for being the site of numerous executions of noteworthy people between the 14th and 18th centuries.
The overall average price of property in Tower Hill in 2021 was £724,063. This is significantly more than the overall average across the borough of Tower Hamlets, which stood at £585,534 during the same period. It is also much more expensive than the most affordable area within Tower Hamlets, which is Bromley by Bow, with its average property price of £353,861. On the other hand, Tower Hill is notably more affordable than the most expensive area in Tower Hamlets which is Spitalfields, with its overall average price of £1,110,585.
Most of the properties sold in Tower Hamlets during the last year were flats, fetching £729,644 on average. Interestingly terraced properties in the area reached an average price of £445,000. These figures illustrate that property prices in the area have fallen by 2% since 2020 and by almost 40% since 2018 when the average price peaked at £1,188,405.
What is living in Tower Hill like?
As well as encompassing the Tower of London, Tower Hill also extends into the surrounding area as far north as Aldgate East tube station and as far east as the A1203 Highway. Fenchurch Street station also sits within the area, reaching as far west as the point where Byward Street meets Lower Thames Street.
The infamous execution site is now home to Trinity Square Gardens, which were designed by Samuel Wyatt in 1797 and underwent a period of restoration in 2003. Spanning approximately one hectare of land, these formal gardens are home to an array of trees, bedding plants, shrubs and manicured lawns, as well as memorials to those who were executed in the area and Merchant Seamen who perished in the world wars.
Living in Tower Hill pros and cons
Pro: Tower Hill occupies an excellent central location with plenty of transport links
Tower Hill Underground station is positioned on the District line between Monument and Aldgate East and the Circle line between Monument and Aldgate. It is served by routes connecting the area with the likes of Upminster, Barking, Richmond, Wimbledon, Ealing Broadway and Hammersmith.
Fenchurch Street station is also within easy reach, which is served by National Rail services to an array of destinations. Tower Hill station is also located a short distance from nearby Tower Gateway Station, which is served by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR).
The area is served by an array of bus routes including the 100 between Shadwell and St Paul's, the 343 between New Cross Gate and Aldgate, and the 42 between East Dulwich and Liverpool Street Bus Station. Two night bus services also run through the Tower Hill area between the hours of 11pm and 6am. The area's riverside location means that residents can also easily assess the Tower Millennium Pier and benefit from the frequent River Services that are also on offer.
Con: Tower Hill is within the ULEZ zone
The ULEZ zone is in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week apart from Christmas Day. Drivers of vehicles that do not conform to the scheme's strict emissions standards are required to pay the £12.50 per day charge to drive within the zone.
As well as being within the ULEZ zone, Tower Hill is also on the cusp of the Congestion Charge zone, which operates between 7am and 10pm every day of the year apart from Christmas day and the New Year's Day Bank Holiday.
Pro: Reasonable air quality
Despite the area's location in the heart of a bustling capital city, air pollution levels only exceeded World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations on eight days in January 2022. Unfortunately this does still mean that residents are exposed to levels of pollution that are just over twice the recommended annual amount however this is better than many other areas in London, particularly those on the outskirts.
Is Tower Hill a safe place to live?
Tower Hill is located within the St Katharine's and Wapping area. Between January 2020 and December 2021 there were 1,825 crimes reported in the area, including 549 cases of theft, 402 violent crimes and 263 burglaries.
Crime in the area peaked in June 2020 and October 2020, when there were 113 cases reported within each four-week period. Crime then fell sharply, reaching a low in January and February 2021, when just 46 crimes were reported each month. In June 2021 and November 2021 crime peaked once again, with the area recording 101 and 104 cases respectively. However between November and December 2021, crime fell once again and there were 79 incidents reported in the final month of the year.
In November 2021, Metropolitan Police data shows that there were eight crimes per 1,000 residents in the St Katharine's and Wapping area. This is lower than the 10 crimes per 1,000 residents recorded across the borough of Tower Hamlets and equal to the eight crimes per 1,000 residents seen across the whole of London.
During the same month there were 19 reports of miscellaneous theft, 11 cases of harassment and 9 reports of violent crime. The area around St Katharine Docks Marina was a hotspot for miscellaneous theft, while most reports of harassment occurred just south of Wapping Woods.
Which celebrities live in Tower Hill?
Tower Hill isn't renowned for being a popular celebrity hotspot, however singer and songwriter Damon Albarn was born in nearby Whitechapel, as was actor Roger Delgado, footballer Ashley Cole, and the founder of Tesco supermarket Jack Cohen.
Arguably Tower Hill is still better known as being the place where many high-status prisoners spent their final days before the end of the 18th century. This rather long list of people includes Thomas Cromwell, Sir Thomas More and the brothers of two of King Henry VIIIs wives George Boleyn and Thomas Seymour.
Things to consider when moving to Tower Hill
As Tower Hill is home to the Tower of London, the area is a major tourist hotspot and can therefore get very busy, particularly during the warmer months and at weekends. However its excellent location and proximity to many of London's central business areas may make this minor compromise worth it for many potential residents. It's also worth noting that many restaurants and shops are only open during the week, however excellent transport connections mean that travel around the city is easy.
Tower Hill has a variety of different types of property including warehouses that have been converted into apartments, and terraced properties dating back to the Victorian era. The area is likely to appeal mostly to young professionals who want to live within walking distance of the office, as many properties in the area are relatively compact, however that certainly isn't to say that detached period properties don't ever become available.
While Tower Hill may not immediately seem like the most family friendly location in the city, it does have a lot to offer in terms of schooling options. There are more than 40 schools or collages located within a mile radius of Tower Hill including several independent offerings such as the David Game College, the Complete Works and Buttercup Primary School. Tower Hill is also home to numerous state schools including the 'Outstanding' rated St Paul's Whitechapel Church of England Primary School, the Aldgate School and St Michael's Catholic College.