St Mary-le-Bow

City of London, United Kingdom

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Opening hours: We 07:30-18:00; Th 07:30-18:30; Fr 07:30-16:00
Wheelchair access: Accessible
Phone: +44 20 7248 5139

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

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Located on Cheapside in the City of London, St Mary-le-Bow is an English Baroque church designed by Sir Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London in 1666. Though the medieval parish church was founded in 1080 by Archbishop Lanfranc, the present structure dates to 1671 and stands as Wren's third-tallest church, surpassed only by St Paul's Cathedral and St Bride's, Fleet Street, while ranking as his second most costly commission at over £15,000. The church is celebrated for its bells, immortalized in the nursery rhyme "Oranges and Lemons," and traditionally associated with Cockney identity—a true Londoner was said to be born within earshot of them. Severely damaged during the Second World War Blitz, the interior was gutted by fire, though the tower survived; it was sympathetically restored by Laurence King between 1956 and 1964 and received Grade I listed status.