Bow Bridge, London

The Queen (or some of her retinue) fell into the water while fording the Lea, a dangerous situation, especially with the heavy clothes worn by many women of the era.

[2] As a result of the incident, Matilda ordered a distinctively bow-shaped (arched) bridge to be built over the River Lea, on which stood a chapel dedicated to St Katherine.

The Abbey's subsequent dissolution caused further lengthy litigation over maintenance of the bridge at Bow – with the successor landowners found responsible in 1691.

There are a number of theories about the identity of the Fair Lady, including the idea that it may refer to Matilda,[7] the builder of Bow Bridge and its neighbours, or that it may apply to the River Lea itself.

He begins his tour in Essex, starting with the crossing of the Lea at Bow Bridge: Passing Bow-Bridge, where the county of Essex begins, the first observation I made was, that all the villages which may be called the neighbourhood of the city of London on this, as well as on the other sides thereof, which I shall speak to in their order; I say, all those villages are increased in buildings to a strange degree, within the compass of about 20 or 30 years past at the most.The bridge was formerly the lowest crossing of what was once a much wilder, river that formed a much greater barrier to the east-west movement of trade and of armies.

Anticipating an invasion by a Scots army from the north, in support of the King, there were a series of largely unco-ordinated Royalist risings in parts of the Royal Navy, South Wales, Lancashire, Essex and perhaps most seriously in Kent.

Disheartened by the loss of Maidstone there were many desertions and the force was reduced to around 3,000 men by the time it reached Greenwich at noon on 3 June 1648, after an all-night march.

The Earl of Norwich received word that around 2,000 Royalists had assembled at Bow Bridge with more at Chelmsford, so he crossed the river, with just his horse, in order to investigate the veracity of the information in order that the army could cross the Thames to rendez-vous with the other Royalists if the information was correct[10] Sir William Compton was left in charge of the force at Greenwich.

When Norwich didn't return immediately from Bow Bridge, the Kentish force decided to cross the river, and landed on the east side of the Isle of Dogs peninsula, many at Blackwall.

The leader of the Militia decided to avoid bloodshed and told the Royalists that they would be escorted to Bow Bridge, on the border of the Tower Hamlets district, disarmed and sent on their way.

Parliamentarian dragoons were hiding behind hedges beside the road at Mile End Green, and they released a volley of fire at the Royalists, killing one.

In 1967 that bridge was replaced by a new modern bridge by the Greater London Council who also installed a two-lane flyover above it (designed by Andrei Tchernavin, son of Gulag escapee Vladimir V. Tchernavin[14]) spanning the Blackwall Tunnel approach road, the traffic interchange, the River Lea and some of the Bow Back Rivers.