It expanded rapidly in the Victorian era into a outer suburb of London and was designated an independent Anglican parish in the mid-Victorian period, although civil administration has always been associated with Bow.

n June 1648, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, a Royalist force of some 500 to 600 men won a minor battle against the Tower Hamlets Militia at Bow Bridge and occupied Stratford for three days, before heading off along the old Roman Road to the Siege of Colchester.

During that those three days they carefully guarded Bow Bridge and a number of local fords so that the Lea would secure their flank against attack from the City of London and the Tower Hamlets.

[7] Farming and market gardening prevailed in the settlement until the 19th century when Old Ford became a part of the seamless London conurbation as a district, with large estates of relatively poor houses and much poverty.

In 1865, a 30-acre plot was purchased to be used as a gasworks, but the Gas Light and Coke Company established what would become known as Fish Island, giving it its distinctive road names, and building a mixed residential and industrial development instead.

[9] Fish Island also saw significant bombing during the war, with damaged housing demolished post-war to make way for factories and warehouses.

[10] St Barnabas's, Bethnal Green was also badly damaged by bombing during the same World War;[11] the steeple was removed and the church rebuilt, retaining the tower and north and south walls.

The concert was played by The Clash, Steel Pulse, X-Ray Spex, The Ruts, Sham 69, Generation X, and the Tom Robinson Band.

[13] In 1975, the Baroness Burdett Coutts Drinking Fountain in the park was given Grade II* listed status by Historic England.

Matthew Lloyd Architects was appointed to refurbish the building and enable it to serve the wider community as well as the church.

[16] St Barnabas Community Fete, also known as Bowstock, was[citation needed] an annual fête and music festival held on Wennington Green in Mile End Park.

[20] Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast was broadcast live from a former lockkeeper's cottages on Fish Island,[21] from 28 September 1992 until 29 March 2002.

Access to council services is dealt with by the Bow and North Poplar One Stop Shop in Ewart Place.

Britannia Works has been run as an artists studio building by SPACE since 2000, who led a set of community programs.

Access to the Hertford Union Canal is via the tow-path (which the National Cycle Route 1 also passes along) from Wick Road at St Marks Gate (Victoria Park).