Local history

Britain has been home to Sikhs since the early nineteenth century, when many wealthy Punjab families sent their children to Britain’s top public school and universities.

The end of the Second World War marked the arrival of a second wave of Sikh immigrants, many of them ex-servicemen. More Sikhs arrived from East Africa in the 1970s and the Indian sub-continent during the early 1980s.

Initially, the new arrivals headed for West London. Gradually, however, more and more Sikhs settled in East London. Here, many established themselves as successful business people as their numbers rose well into five figures.

Like generations of East London immigrants before them, Sikhs are now moving away from this area, making way for new arrivals from different parts of the world.

Gurdwara profile
Tower Hamlets is home to the UK’s second-oldest Gurdwara. Located in Campbell Road, it was opened in 1952, providing the Sikh community with an alternative to the country’s oldest Gurdwara in Shepherd’s Bush.

Campbell Road has expanded into a second location in nearby Harley Grove. Now a listed building, this site was previously a church, synagogue and mosque. Its changing role reflects the changing face of Tower Hamlets.