Fournier Street, formerly Church Street, is a street of 18th century houses in Spitalfields, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It runs between Commercial Street and Brick Lane.
Fournier Street was the last to be built on the Wood-Michell estate in Spitalfields, London. The houses mainly date from the 1720s and together form one of the most important and best preserved collections of early Georgian domestic town-houses in Britain. Built for French Huguenot master silk-weavers and mercers, the houses of Fournier Street were fitted out with fine wooden panelling and elaborate joinery such as carved staircases, fireplaces and highly detailed door-cases by the master craftsmen of the day.
One of the finest examples is Howard House, No. 14 Fournier Street, a mansion house, built circa 1726 by 'carpenter and gentleman', William Taylor, for his own occupation but subsequently leased by silk weavers, 'Signeratt and Bourdillon'. It has three floors and a large garrett attic which once contained the loom. It is here that the silk for Queen Victoria's Coronation gown was woven. The unique hardwood staircase balustrade is carved to display fluted columns with Ionic capitals placed on each turn for one hundred steps. Indeed each step is expertly carved with a masterly design of hops, barley, and wild roses.
No. 23 Fournier Street is perhaps the best surviving example of a classic, single-fronted early Georgian town house of simple but elegant design. This house retains the original, typical arrangement of cellar-basement, three brick storeys and a mansard garrett with a weather boarded front and wide weaver's windows.
In current times, perhaps the most famous residents are the artists Gilbert and George, who have lived and worked at a house in Fournier Street for many years. The interior of the building has featured in many of their works, particularly in photographs from the 1970s, which show the building as empty, dilapidated and gloomy.
In 2011 CubeFuture gallery was opened at 33 Fournier Street by artist Gideon Cube-Sherman [1]
At its eastern end, Fournier Street finishes with the London Jamme Masjid (Great Mosque), a building which was originally built as a Huguenot chapel[2] and has at various times been used as a synagogue, Methodist church and a Protestant church responding to the changing religious needs of the surrounding population over its 280 year long history. Upon a wall on the south side there is still to be seen the large sundial carved with the inscription "Umbra sumus" a quote taken from Horace's odes meaning "We are shadows".
Fournier Street also has the church of Christ Church Spitalfields at its western end, designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor, a former assistant of Christopher Wren, and built between 1714 and 1729. This Grade 1 listed building is widely considered to be the highest expression of English Baroque architecture.
On the opposite western corner of Fournier Street is the Ten Bells public house. The Ten Bells is notorious for its connection with Jack the Ripper. It is here that the two of the Ripper victims were seen close to the times of their untimely deaths. Indeed all five victims lived in proximity to the pub.
