Bow Green

Bow Green is built on a site with a long and fascinating history. From farmland to gasworks, to a new community, many different people have helped shape this place.

Before Bow Green 
Before 1850  
The land where Bow Green stands today was mainly open farmland on the edge of East London. People used the land for growing crops and farming.

The Gasworks Years 
1850  
Bow Common Gasworks opened on the site. 
Coal arrived by railway and was turned into gas. The gas was used to light streets, heat homes and power businesses across London.

1870 
The Gas Light and Coke Company took over the site and expanded it. New buildings and large gas holders became part of the East London skyline.

1900 
The Boundary Estate opened nearby in Bethnal Green. It was one of the world's first council housing estates and helped improve housing for local people.

1926 
Gateway's story began as the Bethnal Green and East London Housing Association, helping provide homes for local people.

1929 
The first Gateway homes opened in Bethnal Green.

1940s 

Many East London communities were affected by the Second World War. Local people continued to work, live and rebuild their neighbourhoods. 

A Time of Change 
1968 
Gas production stopped at Bow Common Gasworks. 
The site later became home to industrial workshops and storage areas.

1982 
Most of the old gas holder structures were removed.

2017

The final gas holders were demolished, marking the end of the gasworks era. 

Creating Bow Green 
2022 
Planning permission was granted to transform the former gasworks site into a new neighbourhood with homes, green spaces and community facilities.

2023 
Construction work began to create the homes here today.

2025 
The first homes were completed and the first parts of the development opened.

2026 
The first residents moved into Bow Green. 
A new community began to grow, bringing together people of different ages, backgrounds and experiences. Residents also helped create the Bow Green mural, sharing stories about East London, local landmarks and what home means to them.

Bow Green Today 
Today, Bow Green combines homes, gardens, community spaces and green open areas. 
More than five acres of landscaping, planting and public space help create a place where people and nature can thrive together. The development celebrates both the history of the former gasworks and the future of the community being built here.  

The Future 
Over the coming years, Bow Green will continue to grow as new phases are completed and more people move into the neighbourhood. More homes, new public spaces and new community facilities will help write the next chapter in the story of Bow Green.  

2026 - "The year I moved into Bowers Apartments." 
Because the history of Bow Green is still being written. The people who live here today are helping shape its future.