Bow

The hamlet of Bow dates back almost a thousand years. The name Bow is believed to come from its arched bridge founded in 1110 by Queen Matilda, the wife of Henry I.

Queen Matilda is said to have fallen into the River Lea, while crossing the dangerous ford, and was nearly swept away by flood waters. It was then that she ordered the bridge to be built, coincidentally improving access to the tide mills on the east bank of the River Lea that borders Bow.

One of these magnificent complexes still stands today - Three Mills. A trading site for over 900 years, Three Mills was the country's largest tidal mill complex and an important industrial centre.

It has been restored as a working museum and contains much of its original machinery including four large waterwheels, millstones and grain chutes. There is a licensed waterside cafe in the adjacent Victorian distillery buildings.

Up to the 1800s, the small hamlet of Bow was surrounded by cornfields, pastures and meadows. Samuel Pepys noted in his diary that he often strolled through Bow on his way to a cream tea shop. And Charles Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickelby features a little cottage set in the area.

Although the meadows have long since disappeared, one firm link with the past remains - Roman Road Market. The market started in about 1843 and has always thrived on its reputation for a huge variety of goods at keen prices.

The market is particularly well known for its 'cabbages' - not the vegetable, but a massive range of new clothes, seconds and discontinued lines. Within the market there is a traditional East End eatery - The Pie and Mash Shop. On Saturday lunchtimes, scores of shoppers queue for this tasty and filling fayre.

The north edge of Bow borders the magnificent Victoria Park. This huge and beautifully planted open space hosts many festivals, fetes, rallies and meetings. It is famous for its open air concerts beside the Chinese summerhouse, the Pagoda. There are a number of play areas for children, a paddling pool, and enclosures with deer and birds.

Further south, Mile End Park is both an excellent leisure facility and a fine sporting venue, with its international standard athletics stadium. The park, established after 1945, stretches from Limehouse to Victoria Park, along the Regents Canal.