Bow Church - Bow Road, London, UK - Medieval Churches on Waymarking.com

The church's website tells us:

On 17 November 1311, Bishop Ralph Baldock of London licensed the building of a chapel at Bow. This act began 700 years of worship on this site.

The majority of the building that currently stands on the site dates from about 1490 when the earlier church buildings were in need of major repair.

In 1719, Bow Church finally ceased to be a daughter chapel to St Dunstan's Church in Stepney when it was consecrated on 6 April as the independent parish of St Mary, Stratford Bow.

A number of notable people have worshipped at the church. Perhaps the most famous is George Lansbury who was a major politician in the first half of the 20th century. He was MP for Bow and Bromley, a member of the first Labour government and, for a time, the leader of the party. He was a Christian Socialist and pacificist who, in his old age, strove to avoid the outbreak of the Second World War (even going to meet Hitler) and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Unfortunately, the Second World War also brought disaster to the church building. On the night of 10/11 May 1941, the church was hit by a bomb in the last major raid of the Blitz. The tower and the western part of the church were damaged.

Restoration work began in 1949. In 1951, when the church was visited by the Queen Mother (then the Queen), there was a lot of work still to be completed. On 30 November 1952, the church was rededicated following the completion of the redesigned tower and installation of new bells.

The church is Grade II* listed with the entry at the Historic England website telling us:

Parish Church. Possible C14 core, C15 tower, further rebuilding and restoration in early-C18, 1829, 1882, 1895 and the 1950s. Kentish Rag stone with brick additions and tiled roofs.

EXTERIOR: C15 West Tower with Southeast turret of Kentish Rag ashlar, this with brick upper part with timber clock turret rebuilt by H.S. Goodhart-Rendel after WWII damage (this replacing 1829 rebuilding). Perpendicular style West door with square label and window above. Rubble stone north aisle, possible of C14 date. The aisles, clerestory and chancel have straight-headed late Perpendicular style windows with elaborate cusping, renewed in the late-C19 restorations. South aisle refaced in 1794, with small Tuscan portico added in mid-C20. To north, brick vestries of early C18 and 1900 by SPAB committee.

INTERIOR: West tower has tall Perpendicular arch with moulded caps on rounded shafts. Nave of six bays, the arcade of low octagonal columns with moulded capitals, carrying double-chamfered arches, these extensively restored in late-C19, although these may date from pre-C15. Double glazing to windows of 1900. Roof is of common rafters with bulky tie beams, these left roughly hewn as part of late-C19 restoration. 2 bay Chancel has late medieval roof with moulded tie-beams and carved bosses, the panels renewed 1900. Also C18 panelling, 1881 raised and tiled floor by A.W. Blomfield, and east window by H. Lewis Curtis as part of mid-C20 rebuilding campaign. c.1630 and early-C18 communion tables. Octaogonal font with perpendicular tracery. Fine monuments including those to Grace Amcottes, died 1551; Alice Coborn, died 1689; and Prisca Coborn, died 1701. Font is octagonal with Perpendicular tracery.

SUBSIDIARY: The church forms the central component of a narrow island site. The church forms a group with the perimeter Gothic style iron railings (reinstated in 1984), gate and piers to the churchyard, which was enlarged to the east in 1824. Also group value with the statue of W.E. Gladstone and bollards, as well as Our Lady of St. Catherine Roman Catholic Church, and No. 1999 on the north side of Bow Road.

HISTORY: Built as chapel of ease to Stepney (licence of 1311) and parish church from 1711. St. Mary was subject of an extensive late-C19 restoration, following the 1896 collapse of the chancel roof. This was supervised by a committee of the SPAB and undertaken by architect Osborn C. Hills of local firm Hills and Son, with extensive debate over the approach or replacement versus repair of original fabric, and which was the subject of heated local concern. The church was the subject of the second Survey of London monograph, written by Hills. It suffered heavy bomb damage in WWII, and the site was visited by the Queen in March 1951, and plans prepared for its reconstruction by H.S. Goodhart-Rendel.

The church's website advises that services are held as follows:

Early Morning Sunday Communion Service - every week
Time: 8.30am-9am

Parish Holy Communion - every Sunday
Time: 10.30am
Service followed by coffee

Mid-week Holy Communion - every Wednesday
Time: 7.30am
Service followed by a light breakfast

Choral Evensong - second Sunday of each month
Time: 6pm
Service is sung with support from our choir