Description
Bromley Public Hall is a stone-faced building with balustraded parapet, built in 1879/80 as the vestry hall for the new parish of Bromley St Leonard, which was formed when it split from the medieval parish of Stepney. The parish church of St Mary with St Leonard originated as the priory chapel of St Leonard's Priory, a Benedictine nunnery that was dissolved in 1536. The parish came within the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar in 1899, which from 1965 became part of the new London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Bromley Public Hall is now Tower Hamlets Register Office and is used for various occasions, from weddings and vow renewals, to naming and citizenship ceremonies. To the rear of Bromley Public Hall is a pleasant small garden, popular as a setting for wedding and other photography.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Bromley Public Hall |
|---|---|
| Site location | Bow Road |
| Postcode | E3 3EF |
| What3Words | ///engage.settle.issue |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Tower Hamlets |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Monday - Friday: 9am to 4.30pm (closed every second Wednesday afternoon per month) |
| Public Transport | DLR: Bow Road. Bus: 8, 25, 108, 205 |
| Research Updated | 17 September 2016 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St Leonard's Priory was a Benedictine nunnery that was founded in the time of William the Conqueror, but destroyed in 1536 at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. At that time the lands passed to Sir Ralph Sadleir, Secretary of State to Henry VIII, who lived at Sutton House, Homerton. However, at the time of the dissolution the priory chapel was retained and was later converted into the parish church for the new parish of Bromley St Leonard, when it split off from the medieval parish of Stepney. The parish covered the area of two much older land holdings, the Manor of Bromley and the estate of the Nunnery of St Leonard. Between 1899 and 1965 Bromley St Leonard was within the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar, which then became part of the new Borough of Tower Hamlets, established in 1965.
Bromley St Leonard was popular as a place for rural retreats in the early C17th but by the latter part of the C19th the area had become much degraded, as industrial development and poor housing proliferated from the early C19th onwards. The parish church of St Mary with St Leonard was destroyed in WWII bombing and its site obliterated when the Blackwall Tunnel approach road was built in the late 1960s. What remains of its churchyard became a playground and garden called St Leonard's Adventurous Playground, now renamed St Leonard's Priory (q.v.).
Bromley St Leonard was popular as a place for rural retreats in the early C17th but by the latter part of the C19th the area had become much degraded, as industrial development and poor housing proliferated from the early C19th onwards. The parish church of St Mary with St Leonard was destroyed in WWII bombing and its site obliterated when the Blackwall Tunnel approach road was built in the late 1960s. What remains of its churchyard became a playground and garden called St Leonard's Adventurous Playground, now renamed St Leonard's Priory (q.v.).
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ374828 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Tower Hamlets |
| Site Management | LB Tower Hamlets |
| Dates | 1880 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Bromley Public Hall |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Tower Hamlets |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
Gallery
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Grove Hall Park is on part of the former site of Grove Hall Private Lunatic Asylum, which was established c.1820 for ex-servicemen. The Asylum had well-planted grounds, which are referred to in Charles Dickens's 'Nicholas Nickelby' (1839). The site was purchased in c.1906 and opened as a public park in 1909. It was extended in 1930 with the addition of the garden of St Catherine's Convent to create the small memorial garden that abuts the park.
The church of St Mary, Stratford Bow dates from the C14th, originally built as a chapel of ease to Stepney Parish Church. Built 'in the King's Highway', it remains on an island site at the east end of the busy Bow Road, and is the only reminder of the medieval village of Bow. The churchyard was expanded and laid out in 1825 when adjoining buildings were removed. After the churchyard was closed to burials, it was laid out as a public garden by the MPGA, designed by Fanny Wilkinson with plans modified by CR Ashbee who designed features inside the church. The main path and benches in the west churchyard were added at a later date. The east churchyard provides a further garden area, and was laid out by Madeline Agar in 1911.
St Leonard’s Priory is part of the former churchyard of Bromley St Leonard Church, which originated with a C12th Benedictine nunnery dedicated to St Leonard. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the priory lands passed into private hands. The old priory chancel was rebuilt in 1843 as the parish church of St Mary with St Leonard but was bombed in WWII. Part of the churchyard had been lost to house building by the early C19th. All that remains is part of the boundary wall and the How Memorial Gateway erected in 1894, which forms the entrance to what remains of the churchyard. In the 1990s part of the site became a children's playground, the remainder managed for wildlife. The site has been cleared of undergrowth and laid out with paths in 2011.
