St Mary’s and Holy Trinity, Bow

St. Mary's Church, Bow is one of the few remaining medieval buildings in east London. It dates from 1311, when it was licensed by the Bishop of London to be built "in the middle of the King's highway." Its location has remained for centuries one of the main routes into London. In May 1941, the church was hit in one of London's worst blitz raids, in which 1,400 people died, and the upper tower and western part of the church were destroyed. The Queen Mother visited in 1951, as restoration began. The clock tower dates from this period, 1952. The church is Grade II listed and on the Heritage at Risk list, condition 'very bad'. The wooden cupola is rotting with risk of collapse. Proposed work to the wooden clock tower includes four new clock dials, reusing the hands and numerals and regilding, copper cornice weathering, and replacing of weatherboarding.