The Ten Bells Pub

The Ten Bells Pub. Wordspotandsmith/CC BY-SA 3.0

The Ten Bells Pub has stood on the corner of Commercial Street and Fournier Street in one form or another since the mid 18th century. This dive bar likely would not have survived till today if not for its ties to Jack the Ripper.

Prostitutes and ne’er-do-wells were known to frequent this watering hole in the heart of Spitalfields. Two of Jack the Ripper’s victims, Annie Chapman and Mary Kelly, both drank here often. In fact, Mary Kelly was last seen here just an hour before she was murdered.

In the the late 70s, capitalizing on its infamous past, the pub changed its name to Jack The Ripper. It even displayed authentic memorabilia from the case as its decor. The name was changed back to The Ten Bells after protests that violent murders, particularly of women, shouldn’t be glorified in such a manner.

The pub now is a popular watering hole, and can get very busy on the weekend. This might be because The Ten Bells is a genuinely good pub, but it just as likely might be because macabre tourists want to follow in the footsteps of the Ripper’s victims.

Know Before You Go

The nearest underground stations are Aldgate East and Liverpool Street. The pub is on the corner of Commercial Street and Fournier Street, painted a dark olive colour.

There are two floors inside the pub, and tables are set up outside.

There is level access to see the outside of the pub, and one step into the ground floor.