Bow Church

History: Bow Church is not, as is the common misconception, home of the Bow Bells. It is named after St Mary's church on Bow Road. The area has its own claims to fame including featuring as a location in the Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickleby and in Samual Pepys' diary.

Station: Part of the original DLR system, Bow Church is 10 minutes from Canary Wharf on the Stratford line. The stop is in Zone Two. The area immediately outside the station is scruffy but the platform itself is under construction.

What's there: A number of pubs are within sight of the station, the Bow Bells to the right as you leave and The Little Driver to the left. There are a couple of restaurants within half a mile of Bow Church, beyond that, Mile End offers a wide selection of food. Gay leather and rubber venue, The Backstreet, is also easily reached. Thames Magistrates Court is close by and connections to the Hammersmith and City and District underground lines are on Bow Road.