St Mary-le-Bow Church - Sightseeing, Places of Worship

St Mary-le-Bow Church

Cheapside, London, EC2V 6AU
Tel: +44 (0)20 7248 5139

Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt this church in the 1670's after The Great Fire of London. The church tower contains the famous Bow Bells. It is said that to be a true cockney you must be born within the sound of the Bow Bells.

St Mary-le-Bow is very much a church for the City of London and even has the Lord Mayor's coat of arms displayed in its colourful stained glass.

Below the church is a normal crypt belonging to an earlier church on the site. It is the oldest parochial building still in use in London. Today the crypt contains a restaurant, which has received an award for 'best vegetarian meal'.

On Tuesdays there is a lunchtime dialogue with the rector. Lunchtime concerts are held on Thursdays and there are also regular art exhibitions.

The Bow Bells played a major role in the story of the famous Londoner Dick Whittington. It is totally clear where the legendary Dick Whittington stops and reality begins. Today he is best known as the pantomime character who came to London as a boy with just a handkerchief full of belongings and his cat. He had come to seek his fortune in the mistaken belief that the streets of London were paved with gold. On finding how very wrong he was, he decided to leave.

As he was going he heard the sound of Bow Bells telling him to give London another go. This he did and he went on to become a successful cloth merchant and was 3 times Lord Mayor of London. Though many believe that much of this story is pure fiction, there is no doubt that Dick Whittington really existed and that he was Mayor 3 times between 1397 and 1420.

Opening Times
Monday - Wednesday 06:30 - 18:00
Thursday 06:30 - 18:30
Friday 06:30 - 16:00

Nearest Underground (Tube) Stations: Mansion House, St Paul's and Bank