Old Nichol St. sits to the southern border of what was 'The Old Nichol', a Victorian slum. This was a rabbit warren of streets and passageways, situated just on the border between Shoreditch, Bethnal Green and the City.

Described by Sarah Wise in 'The Blackest Streets: the life and death of a Victorian Slum', the streets were so narrow that people had to 'turn sideways, and move crablike along'. It was also 'a criminal enclave... with its strange geography assisting a street robber or sneak-thief in his dash to safety'. 

Speculative builders had leased land from aristocratic owners, who didn't care what was done with their land as long as it remaiend profitable. Wise continues: 'Instead of using traditional mortar, the speculative builders found a cheaper lime-based substance derived fom the by-products of soap-making... This 'cement' was known as Billysweet, and quickly beame imfamous for never thoroughly drying out, and so leading to sagging, unstable walls... Most of the early-1800s houses had no foundations, their floorboards being laid onto bare earth; cheap timber and half-baked bricks of ash-adulerated clay were used. Roofs were badly pitched, resulting in rotting rafters and plasterwork, with this damp from above joining the damp seeping upwards for the earth to create permanently soggy dwellings.'

Demolition of The Old Nichol slum began during 1893, and building of the new 'Boundary Street Estate' started during 1895.

This should be a quick find. Subtlety (and tweezers) needed - this area can get busy!