St Mary-le-Bow
The Wren church whose Bow Bells define a true Cockney, with a peaceful crypt cafe beneath, free to enter.
The lowdown
By ancient tradition, only those born within the sound of the Bow Bells of St Mary-le-Bow can call themselves true Cockneys, which once meant most of the East End could hear this Cheapside church across the rooftops. Rebuilt by Wren after the Great Fire, it has one of his most graceful steeples soaring over the City.
It is free to step inside, and beneath the church a Norman crypt, among the oldest structures in the City, now houses a calm little cafe. Between the famous bells, the architecture and the ancient vaults, it is a lovely free pause in the busy heart of the old City.
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