The name was originally applied to the Tower division of the county of Middlesex. This division was a liberty, i.e. it was an autonomous area under the jurisdiction of the Constable of the Tower of London, and not the Lord Lieutenant of Middlesex. This special status continued until the creation of the County of London in 1889. The name was revived in 1965, when a new London borough was formed from the amalgamation of the metropolitan boroughs of Bethnal Green, Poplar and Stepney.
The Bow Heritage Trail flip book is available at IdeaStore. There is a plaque for the "starting point" of the trail on the police station near Bow Road Railway Station.
