The E (Eastern) postcode area, also known as the London E postcode area, is the part of the London post town covering much of

east London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. It borders the N postcode area to the west, both north of the tidal

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...

. Since closure of the East London mail centre its mail is sorted at Romford Mail Centre together with IG and RM postcode areas.

Postal administration

The current E postcode area was originally formed in 1866 as a merger of the E and NE areas, which had been created in 1858. In 1917, the postal districts were numbered alphabetically by their most important parish, chapelry, topographical or built environment feature. As of 2004, the district names do not form part of the postal address. High demand caused sector 9 of the E1 postcode district to be split and recoded in 1999 to create an E1W postcode district around Wapping, but the rest of the district did not gain an additional character. When districts are used for purposes other than the sorting of mail, such as use as a geographic reference and on street signs, E1 and E1W continue to be commonly classed as one 'district'. The E postcode area contains two non-geographic postcode districts for high-volume business users, E77 and E98. The Eastern District Office is on Whitechapel Road and was the eastern terminus for the former

London Post Office Railway The Post Office Railway, is a narrow gauge, driverless underground railway in London that was built by the Post Office with assistance from the Underground Electric Railways Company of London, to transport mail between sorting offices. Inspir ...

, which has been mothballed since 2003. The railway ran to the

Paddington Paddington is an area within the City of Westminster, in Central London. First a medieval parish then a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965. Three important landmarks of the district are Padd ...

Head District Sorting Office. The E20 postcode has been used fictionally in television soap-opera '' EastEnders'' since 1985. It has been a real postcode since 2011 carved from and only bordered by the E15 postcode, its buildings marketed as and often self-identifying as Olympic Park and Queen Elizabeth Park. It includes landmark sports venues built for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

List of postcode districts

The approximate coverage of the postcode districts, with the historic postal district names"Map of London District Names and Numbers"
from the 1963 edition of ''Bartholomew's Reference Atlas of Greater London'' (via

Flickr Flickr ( ; ) is an American image hosting and video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was a popular way for amateur and professiona ...

). in ''italics'', is as follows: , - ! E1 , LONDON , ''Eastern head district:''

Aldgate Aldgate () was a gate in the former defensive wall around the City of London. It gives its name to Aldgate High Street, the first stretch of the A11 road, which included the site of the former gate. The area of Aldgate, the most common use of ...

(part), Bishopsgate (part),

Whitechapel Whitechapel is a district in East London and the future administrative centre of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a part of the East End of London, east of Charing Cross. Part of the historic county of Middlesex, the area formed a c ...

, Shoreditch (part),

Spitalfields Spitalfields is a district in the East End of London and within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The area is formed around Commercial Street (on the A1202 London Inner Ring Road) and includes the locale around Brick Lane, Christ Church ...

Shadwell Shadwell is a district of East London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets , east of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the Thames between Wapping (to the west) and Ratcliff (to the east). This riverside location has me ...

Limehouse Limehouse is a district in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. It is east of Charing Cross, on the northern bank of the River Thames. Its proximity to the river has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains throug ...

Stepney Stepney is a district in the East End of London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The district is no longer officially defined, and is usually used to refer to a relatively small area. However, for much of its history the place name appl ...

Mile End Mile End is a district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, England, east-northeast of Charing Cross. Situated on the London-to-Colchester road, it was one of the earliest suburbs of London. It became part of the m ...

(part), Portsoken , Tower Hamlets, Hackney,

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

, - ! E1W , LONDON , ''Wapping district:''

Wapping Wapping () is a district in East London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wapping's position, on the north bank of the River Thames, has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and step ...

St Katharine Docks St Katharine Docks is a former dock and now a mixed-used district in Central London, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and within the East End. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, immediately downstream of the Tower of London ...

(part),

(part) , Tower Hamlets , - ! E2 , LONDON , ''Bethnal Green district:''

Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in the East End of London northeast of Charing Cross. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the Green, much of which survives today as Bethnal Green Gardens, beside Cambridge Heath Road. By t ...

, Haggerston, Hoxton (part), Shoreditch (part), Cambridge Heath,

Globe Town Bethnal Green is an area in the East End of London northeast of Charing Cross. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the Green, much of which survives today as Bethnal Green Gardens, beside Cambridge Heath Road. By th ...

, Tower Hamlets, Hackney , - ! E3 , LONDON , ''Bow district'': Bow, Bow Common, Bromley-by-Bow, Old Ford,

(part), Fish Island,

Hackney Wick Hackney Wick is a neighbourhood in east London, England. The area forms the south-eastern part of the district of Hackney, and also of the wider London Borough of Hackney. Adjacent areas of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets are sometimes ...

(part), South Bromley, Mill Meads (part) , Tower Hamlets, Newham , - ! E4 , LONDON , ''Chingford district:''

Chingford Chingford is a town in east London, England, within the London Borough of Waltham Forest. The town is approximately north-east of Charing Cross, with Waltham Abbey to the north, Woodford Green and Buckhurst Hill to the east, Walthamstow ...

, Waltham Abbey (part), Highams Park, Woodford Green (part) , Waltham Forest, Epping Forest , - ! E5 , LONDON , ''Clapton district:'' Leyton (Part), Upper Clapton, Lower Clapton,

Stoke Newington Stoke Newington is an area occupying the north-west part of the London Borough of Hackney in north-east London, England. It is northeast of Charing Cross. The Manor of Stoke Newington gave its name to Stoke Newington the ancient parish. T ...

(part) , Hackney, Waltham Forest , - ! E6 , LONDON , ''East Ham district:''

East Ham East Ham is a district of the London Borough of Newham, England, 8 miles (12.8 km) east of Charing Cross. East Ham is identified in the London Plan as a Major Centre. The population is 76,186. It was originally part of the hundred of B ...

, Beckton, Upton Park (part), Barking (part) , Newham, Barking and Dagenham , - ! E7 , LONDON , ''Forest Gate district:'' Forest Gate,

Leytonstone Leytonstone () is an area in east London, England, north-east of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, a local authority district of Greater London. It adjoins Wanstead to the north-east, Forest Gate to the south-east, ...

(Part), Stratford (part) , Newham, Waltham Forest , - ! E8 , LONDON , ''Hackney district:''

Hackney Central Hackney Central is a sub-district of Hackney in the London Borough of Hackney in London, England and is four miles (6.4 km) northeast of Charing Cross. The Hackney Central area is focused on Mare Street and the retail areas to the north ...

Dalston Dalston () is an area of East London, in the London Borough of Hackney. It is northeast of Charing Cross. Dalston began as a hamlet on either side of Dalston Lane, and as the area urbanised the term also came to apply to surrounding areas incl ...

London Fields London Fields is a park in Hackney, London, although the name also refers to the immediate area in Hackney surrounding it and London Fields station. It is common land adjoining the Hackney Central area of the London Borough of Hackney. The p ...

(part) , Hackney , - ! E9 , LONDON , ''Homerton district:'' Homerton,

, South Hackney,

Hackney Marshes Hackney Marshes is an area of open space in London's Lower Lea Valley, lying on the western bank of the River Lea. It takes its name from its position on the eastern boundary of Hackney, the principal part of the London Borough of Hackney, ...

, Victoria Park , Hackney, Tower Hamlets , - ! E10 , LONDON , ''Leyton district:'' Leyton, Temple Mills,

(part) Upper Clapton (part), Walthamstow Marshes , Waltham Forest, Hackney , - ! E11 , LONDON , ''Leytonstone district'':

Wanstead Wanstead () is a town in East London, England, in the London Borough of Redbridge. It borders South Woodford to the north, Redbridge, London, Redbridge to the east and Forest Gate to the south, with Leytonstone and Walthamstow to the west. It is ...

Aldersbrook Aldersbrook (also known as Aldersbrook Estate), is an Edwardian housing estate in Wanstead, East London. It is named after the medieval Manor of Aldersbrook the manor itself was named after the Alders Brook, a minor river which marks part of ...

(part), Snaresbrook, Cann Hall , Waltham Forest, Redbridge , - ! E12 , LONDON , ''Manor Park district:'' Manor Park,

Little Ilford Little Ilford is a district of London, England in the London Borough of Newham and the name of a ward in that borough. Little Ilford is now usually referred to as Manor Park.'Little Ilford', in A History of the County of Essex: Volume 6, ed. W ...

(part) , Newham, Redbridge , - ! E13 , LONDON , ''Plaistow district:'' Plaistow, West Ham (part), Upton Park (part) , Newham , - ! E14 , LONDON , ''Poplar district:'' Poplar, Isle of Dogs,

Canary Wharf Canary Wharf is an area of London, England, located near the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Canary Wharf is defined by the Greater London Authority as being part of London's central business district, alongside Central ...

Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, ea ...

, Blackwall,

Cubitt Town Cubitt Town is a district on the eastern side of the Isle of Dogs in London, England. This part of the former Metropolitan Borough of Poplar was redeveloped as part of the Port of London in the 1840s and 1850s by William Cubitt, Lord Mayo ...

, South Bromley, North Greenwich, Leamouth , Tower Hamlets , - ! E15 , LONDON , ''Stratford district:'' Stratford, West Ham (part),

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; ...

, Leyton (part),

(part) Temple Mills (part),

(part), Bow (part) , Newham, Waltham Forest, Hackney, Tower Hamlets , - ! E16 , LONDON , ''Victoria Docks and North Woolwich district:'' Canning Town, Silvertown, Royal Docks, North Woolwich, Beckton (part),

Custom House A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting ...

, London City Airport , Newham , - ! E17 , LONDON , ''Walthamstow district:''

Walthamstow Walthamstow ( or ) is a large town in east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London and the ancient county of Essex. Situated northeast of Charing Cross, the town borders Chingford to the north, Snaresbrook and Sou ...

, Upper Walthamstow, Leyton (part) , Waltham Forest , - ! E18 , LONDON , ''Woodford and South Woodford district:'' Woodford, South Woodford , Redbridge , - ! E20 , LONDON , ''Olympic Park district:'' Olympic Park, & parts of Stratford, Homerton, Leyton, Bow , Newham, Waltham Forest, Hackney, Tower Hamlets , - ! E77 , LONDON , Non-geographic postcode district (

NatWest National Westminster Bank, commonly known as NatWest, is a major retail and commercial bank in the United Kingdom based in London, England. It was established in 1968 by the merger of National Provincial Bank and Westminster Bank. In 2000, it ...

, delivers to E1) , Tower Hamlets , - ! E98 , LONDON , Non-geographic postcode district (

News International News Corp UK & Ireland Limited (trading as News UK, formerly News International and NI Group) is a British newspaper publisher, and a wholly owned subsidiary of the American mass media conglomerate News Corp. It is the current publisher of ...

, delivers to E1W) , Tower Hamlets

Boundaries

The E1 postcode district is bounded by the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the ...

to the south. Postcode districts E6, E14 and E16 also have river frontages in the south. The

River Roding The River Roding () rises at Molehill Green, Essex, England, then flows south through Essex and London and forms Barking Creek as it reaches the River Thames. Course The river leaves Molehill Green and passes through or near a group of eight ...

and the

North Circular Road The North Circular Road (officially the A406 and sometimes known as simply the North Circular) is a ring road around Central London in England. It runs from Chiswick in the west to Woolwich in the east via suburban North London, connecti ...

form part of the boundary in the east. The postcode area is roughly the combined area of the London Boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest. Also, the eastern part of the London Borough of Hackney, the western sections of the London Boroughs of Redbridge (E11, E12, E18) and Barking and Dagenham (E6) and a small part of the

Epping Forest District Epping Forest is a Non-metropolitan district, local government district in Essex, England. Situated in the west of the county, bordering northeastern Greater London, it is named after, and contains a large part of, Epping Forest. The district, t ...

(E4), are within the postcode area.

In popular culture

* The 1990s pop band East 17, formed in Walthamstow, whose postcode district is E17. * BBC soap '' EastEnders'' used the then-fictional post code E20 as the post code for the borough of Walford. * The track "Bow E3" by grime musician Wiley refers to the E3 postcode, which is centred on the area of Bow where Wiley grew up.

Map

The postcode area excludes parts of

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fa ...

like the following: * Central areas covered by central London EC postcodes. * Hoxton in Shoreditch is part of the N postcode area but is usually seen as being part of the

East End The East End of London, often referred to within the London area simply as the East End, is the historic core of wider East London, east of the Roman and medieval walls of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It does not have uni ...

. * The eastern suburbs built after the introduction of the E postcode area are now mainly in the IG and RM postal areas.

References

External links

Royal Mail's Postcode Address FileA quick introduction to Royal Mail's Postcode Address File (PAF)
{{London postcode areas Media and communications in the London Borough of Hackney Media and communications in the London Borough of Newham Media and communications in the London Borough of Redbridge Media and communications in the City of London Media and communications in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Media and communications in the London Borough of Waltham Forest Postcode areas covering London Postcode areas covering the East of England