Bow is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and is located in East London. It is primarily a residential district; however, it does have some interesting areas of historical significance and a number of historical sites.
This area has been referred to, since about 1177, under the name of Stratforde, which means, paved way to a ford,' because of its location on a pre-Roman roadway, which was about 600 meters to the North. The road was upgraded during the Roman occupation and became one of the first paved Roman roads. Over the years a bridge replaced the ford and the route became part of the king's way. The area was given the name Bow from the distinctive bow bridge that originally replaced the ford.
In the center of Bow is the Church of St. Mary. It is one of the historical sites and definitely something to see if you are visiting this area. The area is also known for Bow Porcelain. The pottery industry in this area came into being because of the slaughter yards; the bone from the slaughter yards was mixed with clay to form a type of fine porcelain. The area also is the location of the match girls strike from 1888, however, the original factory is now an apartment building. Other locations which were famed for the suffragettes and women's rights movement including the former office of the East London Federation of suffragettes can be seen here too.
