A 5 mile walk from Mile End tube station (Central, District and Hammersmith & City lines) to Bromley-by-Bow tube station (District and Hammersmith & City lines). The route can be shortened by finishing at Devons Road DLR station.

Exit Mile End tube station
Opposite is Onyx House by Piers Gough who also designed Mile End Park. This spans the main road to the left by means of a 'Green Bridge'.

Cross and go right along the Mile End Road then left into Rhondda Grove
At the end is Holy Trinity Church of 1839. Damaged in the Blitz it was closed in 1984. A number of sea captains are buried in the churchyard. Adjacent is the Central Foundation School.

Go right along Morgan Street through Tredegar Square
Houses here were built in 1828.

Right at Coborn Road back to Mile End Road (cross this)
St Clement's Hospital was opened as the City of London Union Workhouse in 1849 (re-named Bow Infirmary 1911-36). It was refurbished in 1948 after bomb damage.

Continue past the hospital buildings along Mile End Road then right into Merchant Street
The Methodist Mission building of 1865 was rebuilt after bomb damage but the Wesley Hall of 1891 remains. On the side of this is a mural called 'Community Fragments'

Return to and cross the main road which now becomes Bow Road
The former Coborn School of 1875 is due to be refurbished. On the corner with Harley Grove is a memorial to George Lansbury, twice Mayor of Poplar and leader of the Labour Party 1931-5. On the other corner are the former offices of Spratts (dog biscuits) used 1939-64.

Go along Harley Grove
Phoenix School stands on the site of Bow Open Air School, destroyed in WWII. At the end the former Congregational Chapel of 1836 is now a Sikh Temple.

Return along Harley Grove and go left into Bow Road
A metal mile post marker remains. Bow Road Station was built in 1902. Tredegar House, the former School for Nurses, was opened in 1912 and closed in the 1970s. The adjacent Police Station of 1903 has stables to the rear. Beyond Bow Church DLR Station is the (haunted) Bow Bells pub and Tower Hamlets Register Offices, formerly the Bromley Vestry Hall. Opposite the former Poplar Municipal Hall of 1935 is now a business centre. There are mosaics over the entrance and panels depicting workmen on the corner.

Go along Fairfield Road beside this building
On the right is the entrance to Grove Park, originally the grounds of Grove Park Hall. Beyond this is Bow (bus) Garage and the former Bryant & May match factory. The works opened in 1850 and ceased production in 1980. It has been converted to luxury apartments and re-named Bow Quarter.

Return to and continue along Bow Road towards the church.
The RC church on the left was originally the chapel for the convent next door, founded in 1866. The convent building is now home to the Bow Arts Trust. The present St Mary's Church was built in 1719 to replace a chapel of ease of 1311. It has some interesting memorials and was restored after bomb damage. There is a statue to WE Gladstone in the grounds which was donated by Theodore Bryant.

Cross into Bromley High Street and go right into Rainhill Way. Opposite the rear of the Register Office go into the cul-de-sac (Priscilla Road).
The Drapers Almshouses were built in 1706 for 12 poor people with additions in 1836. The site was purchased by the North London Railway in 1867 when the east and west wings were demolished. The remaining buildings which had become derelict were restored by the GLC and a housing association in 1982 and are now private houses.

Return to and continue along Bromley High Street
On the corner of St Leonard's Street is the former Seven Stars pub, a 19thc replacement of an older building. On the opposite corner is the memorial gateway to George How, Dean of Stepney (1840-93). The 19th century church of St Mary with St Leonard (built on the site of a priory) which stood on the site behind was demolished after war damage. A notice says it is an 'Adventurous Playground' whereas it looks to be an unappealing wasteground!

Go along St Leonards Street
There is a memorial on Old Palace School to 36 firemen killed in 1941 when the building, which was being used as a sub-station, received a direct hit. Further along is the Bromley by Bow Centre. New buildings and the former Congregational church provide community facilities including a health centre. There are also workshops for craftspeople and a cafe (open to the public). The 18th century arch, designed by William Kent, came from Northumberland House.

Go through Bob's Park
This was laid out by the LCC in 1900 on the site of Tudor House. It has been re-landscaped and includes tiled motifs, made by local children, in the path. It is named after Robert Grenfield, a popular park keeper.

Exit into Powis Road and go right
Kingsley Hall was set up by Muriel & Doris Lester in 1915 to provide educational and recreational facilities for local people. During WW1 it maintained a pacifist stance and in 1918 developed links with the suffragette movement. In 1926 it became a soup kitchen for families of men involved in the General Strike and in 1936 provided accommodation for the Jarrow Marchers. The present building was designed by Charles Cowes Voysey and opened in 1928. It has a plaque to Gandhi who stayed there in 1931 and a new Peace Garden. [website]

Left into Bruce Road
The Children's Nursery (established in 1912) was built in another building by Voysey in 1923 on the site of stables and opened by HG Wells.

Return to and go along Devons Road
St Andrew's Hospital was opened in 1871 for inmates of the nearby Bromley Workhouse.

Bear right through the park and rejoin Devons Road
The site of the park was previously a railway yard. The Widow's Son or Bun House pub maintains the tradition of baking hot cross buns for a son lost at sea.

Beyond the roundabout go right into Fern Street
The flats have a memorial to Clara Grant who taught at Devons Road School (since renamed after her). She also opened the Fern Street Settlement to provide assistance to local people. It was bombed in WWII but its replacement still serves as a community centre.

Return to the roundabout. Either go back to Devons Road DLR Station just beyond the pub or to continue the walk go right along Violet Road
The Poplar guide of 1927 (see below) describes this road as having Pratts Motor Spirit Co, Anglo-American Oil Co, council Electric Light Works, Disinfectant-producing Depot of public health department, Open Air Swimming Bath and LMS Railway goods depot. Ahead the former premises of Spratts have now been converted to housing.

At the Limehouse Cut you need to go left (eastwards) so go down the steps and walk to the right (going under the railway).
This is part of the Lea Valley Walk.

Continue along the railed boardwalk going under the road. Cross over Bow Locks via the ramp and continue to follow the path between the river and the canal. Go right onto Three Mills Island.
The House Mill on the left was constructed by Daniel Bisson in 1776 but rebuilt in 1802 following a fire. The Clock Mill on the right dates from 1753. Ahead the old distillery buildings are now in use as film studios.

Go back along Three Mills Lane to the Tesco store then left along Hancock Road continuing along the main road. Use the subway to cross to Bromley-by-Bow tube station.

Resources
Tower Hamlets Local History Library and Archives
277 Bancroft Road E1 4DQ. Tel: 020 7364 1290

Bow Road features [webpage]
Bromley-by-Bow features [webpage]
Bromley-by-Bow Centre [architect's webpages]
Bromley-by-Bow [website]
Local Pioneers [webpage]
Poplar Borough Council guide of 1927 [website]
The Lansburys and the Poplar rates revolt [article]
Clara Grant & Farthing Bundles [article]

© london-footprints.co.uk 2007

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