The Ten Bells has existed in various guises since the middle of the 18th century.
The first Ten Bells stood at 12 Red Lion Street, just a few metres away from the current location. When the building was pulled down as part of the 1851 construction of Commercial Street, the owners were able to move the pub to its current location at 84 Commercial Street, at the corner of Fournier Street.
In 1755 the Ten Bells was known as the Eight Bells Alehouse. The name of the pub has changed over time, but those names have derived from the number of bells in the ’peal’ housed in Christ Church over the road. The name was changed in 1788 when the church installed a new set of chimes. Insurance records show that the pub was registered as ’the Ten Bells, Church Street, Spitalfields’ from 1794.
The interior of the pub is decorated floor to ceiling with original Victorian tiling. The mural was designed by the firm of W. B. Simpson and Sons and dates from the late 19th century.
The Ten Bells was renovated in 2010 to restore the pub’s Victorian heritage. The renovation also included the addition of a new mural painted by Ian Harper. The painting features 21st century Spitalfields scenes and characters, such as Gilbert and George.
The Ten Bells is sometimes noted for its supposed association with two victims of Jack the Ripper: Annie Chapman and Mary Jane Kelly.
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