When will that be? Say the bells of Stepney

St Dunstan's on Stepney High Street is the site of another very old church. As a plaque at the entrance states, St Dunstan dedicated a church here to All Saints over 1000 years ago. The current church is the third on the site and is one of the main churches serving the East End. Due to its proximity to the Thames it became known as the Church of the High Seas and as a result a red ensign, the flag of the merchant navy, is still flown from the bell tower. The line in the poem refers to the wives and families of sailors who would pray in the church for their safe return. At the time, sailors could be gone for years at a time and so there was no knowing when or if they would return with their earnings.

St Dunstan's has 10 bells, some of which were made as long ago as 1385. Others were made at the nearby Whitechapel Foundry (which closed in 2017 after more than 450 years) which also made the Liberty Bell and Big Ben.