Spotlight on the Ten Bells Pub

As one of the prime locations on the Jack the Ripper map, Whitechapel’s Ten Bells Pub has become infamous for its connection with the killings. Certain parts of the district of Whitechapel has changed little since the days when the Ripper stalked the streets, which only adds to the intrigue and chilling atmosphere that visitors can experience on our Jack the Ripper walking tours.

The pub stands at the corner of Commercial Street at the interchange with Fournier Street. There has been a public house on the site since at least the 1740s (possibly even before that, too!) and the establishment is still going strong today. When it first opened, the pub was actually called the Eight Bells pub, as it is named in keeping with the number of bells that Christ Church, opposite, had at the particular time. In the 1970s, the Ten Bells was rebranded as a themed pub, even changing its name to the Jack the Ripper! However, this didn’t last for long, as the name was changed back just a few years later.

Exploring Locations on the Jack the Ripper Map

The interior of the Ten Bells has been refurbished fairly recently, back in 2010, in efforts to make sure that it stays in keeping with the original style of décor employed at the time of the Ripper. Therefore, the bar has been moved to the centre of the room, where it would have originally been back in 1888.

This Victorian-esque restoration means that the Ten Bells is well worth a visit. After experiencing one of our walking tours, take the time to relax with a drink in one of the key destinations on the Jack the Ripper map.

But what exactly is this connection between Jack the Ripper and the Ten Bells Pub?

The Last Sightings of the Victims?

According to newspapers and eye-witness reports from the time, several of the murder victims are said to have frequented the pub in the days and weeks before their deaths. Elizabeth Stride was reportedly thrown out of the Ten Bells for being drunk and disorderly in spring 1888. Mary Kelly was apparently drinking in the pub with a friend on the night before she died. There are also some reports which indicate that Annie Chapman was drinking there alone just hours before she was killed and her body discovered around the corner from the pub.

With such a strong connection to the Ripper and the killings, it is no surprise that the Ten Bells Pub remains a must-see landmark on the Jack the Ripper map of Whitechapel!