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Limehouse is an East London borough in the district of Tower Hamlets. The area is situated 6.3 km (3.9 miles) east of Charing Cross on the River Thames’ northern bank. Limehouse has a solid maritime disposition due to its immediate location to the river.
Significant buildings in the area include St. Anne’s Limehouse, which was constructed by Nicholas Hawksmoor; Limehouse Library; Limehouse Town Hall, a Grade II listed building; and Sailor’s Mission. The gastropub The Narrow, owned by Gordon Ramsay, can be found along historic Narrow Street.
Notable residents of Limehouse include comedian Lee Hurst and a number of actors such as Steven Berkoff, Matthew Parris, and Sir Ian McKellen. The late Sir David Lean, a film director, also resided in the area. Movie director Sean Mathias, and publisher Evgeny Lebedev.
The earliest mention of Limehouse E14 comes from 1356 when the area was known as Les Lymhostes. The name derives from the local lime oasts. The sailors who disembarked here were nicknamed lime-juicers or limeys because they used lime juice to prevent scurvy.
The area served as inspiration for Limehouse Blues jazz song by Douglas Furber and Philip Brahman and Limehouse Nights, a collection of short stories by Thomas Burke. Grade II listed pub, The Grapes.