List of churches in the City of London

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St Paul's Cathedral is the largest church building Aerial view of St Paul's Cathedral.jpg
St Paul's Cathedral is the largest church building

This is a list of cathedrals, churches and chapels in the City of London. The list focuses on the more permanent churches and buildings which identify themselves as places of Christian worship. The denominations appended are those by which they self-identify.

Contents

History

Wren and Anglican churches

Before the Great Fire of London in 1666, the City of London had around 100 churches in an area of only one square mile (2.6 km2). Of the 86 destroyed by the Fire, 51 were rebuilt along with St Paul's Cathedral. [1] The majority have traditionally been regarded as the work of Sir Christopher Wren, but although their rebuilding was entrusted primarily to him, the role of his various associates, including Robert Hooke and Nicholas Hawksmoor especially, is currently being reassessed and given greater emphasis. [2] [3]

With regard to Anglican churches, as opposed to Catholic churches, nonconformist chapels or meeting houses, the designs of the Wren office provided a new standard for British church architecture ever since, [4] as well as giving a distinctive face to the Anglican church in London. [5] Wren also designed a number of Anglican churches outside the City, including St James's, Piccadilly and St Clement Danes. After the Wren era, Hawksmoor was responsible for six of the great Anglican churches in the East End of London (for example Christ Church, Spitalfields), and other architects such as Hooke, James Gibbs and John James contributed significantly to Anglican church architecture in London.

Metropolitan area

The King's Weigh House building on Duke Street, Mayfair (designed by Alfred Waterhouse and an example of nonconformist church architecture) today serves as the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile. Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile, London, UK - Diliff.jpg
The King's Weigh House building on Duke Street, Mayfair (designed by Alfred Waterhouse and an example of nonconformist church architecture) today serves as the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in Exile.

London's churches and chapels are extraordinarily numerous and diverse. Anglican and nonconformist churches and chapels are most numerous, but there are also many Catholic churches as well as places of worship for non-Christian religions.

Most of the Anglican churches lie within the Anglican dioceses of London to the north and Southwark to the south. For historical reasons, the Anglican churches in London north of the Thames but east of the River Lea fall within the Diocese of Chelmsford, and those in the London Boroughs of Bexley and Bromley fall within the Diocese of Rochester. A few Anglican churches in the Barnet area fall into the Diocese of St Albans, reflecting the historical association of Barnet with Hertfordshire. The Catholic dioceses that cover Greater London are, north of the Thames and west of the Lea, the Diocese of Westminster; south of the Thames the Archdiocese of Southwark; and north of the Thames and east of the Lea, the Diocese of Brentwood. There are still some two thousand Anglican churches alone, across the capital and if nonconformist and other denominations are included, they cover every age and style, in the design and evolution of which at least six hundred different architects have made contributions. As London expanded during the early 19th century, many new churches and chapels were built independently by the growing nonconformist urban population; to match the growth in nonconformist churches and chapels, the Anglican "Waterloo church" building programme saw numerous Anglican churches constructed across south London in the first half of the century.

Significance

Although many churches and chapels were entirely or partly lost to 19th-century demolitions and to bombing in the Second World War, many historic, architecturally significant and religiously significant buildings remain, particularly in the City of London and the neighbouring City of Westminster. A number of the churches are mentioned in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons . Churches in this list belong to various denominations, as indicated.

List of churches

The City of London is not a London borough but, while being a ceremonial county in its own right, is within Greater London. In 1666 there were 96 parishes within the bounds of the City. Today the following continue Christian witness in one form or another in the heart of London. A map can be found here: [6] The area has 46 churches for just 9,400 inhabitants; the ratio of one church to every 204 people is the highest in England, but the statistic disguises the fact that the vast majority of attendees at City churches live outside the area.

Medieval parish churches in the City

This map shows the medieval churches in the City of London.

Churches holding regular service

All Hallows-by-the-Tower London beim tower all hallows 31.01.2012 13-02-25.jpg
All Hallows-by-the-Tower
Church nameLocationDedicationFoundedDenominationNotes
All Hallows-by-the-Tower or All Hallows Barking Tower Hill All Saints 675AnglicanRebuilt C15th but contains C7th arched doorway
All Hallows-on-the-Wall London Wall All Saints C12thRebuilt 1767. Guild church
St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe Blackfriars Andrew C12thRebuilt 1695, 1961 (after Blitz)
St Andrew, Holborn Holborn Andrew C10thRebuilt C15th, c. 1680, 1961 (after Blitz). Weekday services serving workers
St Bartholomew-the-Great West Smithfield Bartholomew C12thfounded as an Augustinian Priory. Rebuilt C19th. United with St Bart-the-Less
St Bartholomew-the-Less St Bart's Hospital Bartholomew C12thParish church C16th. Chapel of ease to St Bart-the-Great since 2015
St Benet, Paul's Wharf Queenhithe Benedict of Nursia C12thRebuilt 1683. Granted to Welsh-speaking Anglicans 1879
St Botolph, Aldersgate Botwulf Botwulf of Thorney C13thFounded as Cluniac Priory. Rebuilt 1788–1791. Holds weekday Bible talks, run by St Helen's [7]
St Botolph, Aldgate Aldgate Botwulf of Thorney C11thRebuilt C16th, 1741–1744. Restored 1966 (after Blitz)
St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate Bishopsgate Botwulf of Thorney C13thRebuilt 1724–1729. Weekday services serving workers
St Bride, Fleet Street Fleet Street Brigid C7th–10th?Rebuilt C15th, 1675, 1957 (after Blitz)
St Dunstan-in-the-West Farringdon W'out Dunstan C11thRebuilt 1831–1833. Also used by Rom. Orthodox. Tuesday services
St Giles-without-Cripplegate Barbican Giles C11thRebuilt 1394
St Helen, Bishopsgate Bishopsgate Helena C12thInitially part of a Benedictine nunnery. Conservative evangelical
St James Garlickhythe Vintry Ward James C12thRebuilt 1676–1683. Bishop of Fulham
St Katharine Cree Aldgate Catherine of Alexandria 1280Rebuilt 1628–1630. United with St Olave Hart Street
St Lawrence Jewry Guildhall Lawrence C12thRebuilt 1670–1687. Guild church
St Magnus-the-Martyr London Bridge Magnus Erlendsson C11thRebuilt 1671–1687. Bishop of Fulham
St Margaret Lothbury Bank Margaret the Virgin C12thRebuilt 1686–1690. United with St Mary Woolnoth
St Margaret Pattens Monument Margaret the Virgin C11thRebuilt 1687. Guild church
St Martin within Ludgate Ludgate Hill Martin of Tours C12thRebuilt 1677–1684. Guild church; Thursday lunchtime services
St Mary Abchurch Cannon Street Mary C12thRebuilt 1681–1686. Guild church
St Mary Aldermary Mansion House Mary C11thRebuilt 1681. Guild church; may not hold regular services
St Mary-at-Hill Billingsgate Mary C12thRebuilt 1676
St Mary-le-Bow Cheapside Mary C11thRebuilt 1671–1673. Weekday services
St Mary Woolnoth Bank Mary C12thRebuilt 1716–1727. United with St Margaret Lothbury
St Michael, Cornhill Cornhill Michael C12thRebuilt 1672
St Nicholas Cole Abbey Mansion House Nicholas C12thRebuilt 1672–1678. Damaged 1941, restored 1962. Services restarted 2016
St Olave Hart Street Tower Ward Olaf II of Norway C13thRebuilt c. 1450. Restored 1954. United with St Katharine Cree [8]
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Paul C7thRebuilt 962, 1087–1240 (Old St Paul's), 1669–1697
St Sepulchre-without-Newgate Holborn Holy Sepulchre SaxonNational Musicians' Church. Rebuilt C15th, 1670. Recent HTB church plant
St Stephen Walbrook Mansion House Stephen MedievalMoved to current site 1439, rebuilt 1672–1679. Thursday services
St Vedast-alias-Foster St Paul's Vedast C13thRestored 1695–1701, 1962
Temple Church Inner Temple C12thOriginally Templar; owned by Inner Temple and Middle Temple. Round church
St Mary Moorfields Moorfields Mary 1820 Roman Catholic Pro-cathedral of London 1820–1869. Rebuilt 1903
St Botolph's Orthodox Church Bishopsgate Botwulf of Thorney Antioch Orthodox Meets in St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate
London Romanian Orthodox Ch. Fleet Street George 1833 Romanian Orthodox Meets in St Dunstan-in-the-West
St Thomas J. S. O. Church Mansion House Thomas 1989 Jacobite Syr Orth Meets in St Mary Aldermary
St Gregorios Blackfriars Geevarghese Gregorios of Parumala Malankara Orthodox Syrian Meets in St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
St Anne's Lutheran Church Billingsgate Anne ? Lutheran Church Meets in St Mary-at-Hill
London City Presbyt. Church Aldersgate 1949 Free Church of Scotland Meets in St Botolph without Aldersgate (see below)
Jewin Welsh Presbyterian Chapel Barbican 1774 Welsh Presbyterian New buildings 1785, 1823, 1879. Rebuilt 1960
City Temple Holborn Viaduct 1640 URC First building on present site 1874. Rebuilt 1958 (after Blitz)
Dutch Church, Austin Friars Broad Street 1550 Protestant Church in the Netherlands Building C13th Augustinian priory. Stranger church. Rebuilt 1950–1954 (after Blitz)
London Intl Church of Christ Westminster Intl Church of ChristCentral congregation meets in City Temple, Holborn Viaduct
City Gates Church London Wall 1985IndependentWas in Ichthus. Meets in All Hallows-on-the-Wall (see below)
Christ Church London Blackfriars Jesus IndependentMeets in the Mermaid Theatre

Churches demolished or no longer holding regular service

See also: List of demolished churches in the City of London, List of churches destroyed in the Great Fire of London and not rebuilt

Christ Church Greyfriars Iglesia Cristiana de Greyfriars, Londres, Inglaterra, 2014-08-11, DD 135.JPG
Christ Church Greyfriars
Church nameDedicationFoundedEndedDenominationNotes
St Augustine Papey Augustine of Canterbury Medieval1442
St Nicholas Bread Street
St Olave Bread Street
Hospital of St Thomas of Acre Thomas Becket 12271538HQ of Knights of Saint Thomas
St Audoen within Newgate Audoin Medieval1547 Church of England Demolished 1583
St Nicholas Shambles Nicholas C12th1547AnglicanDemolished
Chapel of St Thomas on the Bridge Thomas Becket c. 12001548On London Bridge. Rebuilt 1212, 1384–1397. Demolished
St Mary Axe Mary C12th1562Demolished 1565
All Hallows Honey Lane All Saints C12th1666
All-Hallows-the-Less All Saints C13th1666
Holy Trinity the Less Trinity C13th1666Rebuilt 1606
St Andrew Hubbard Andrew Medieval1666
St Ann Blackfriars Anne 15501666Rebuilt 1597. Built on site of old Dominican monastery
SS Benet & Osyth, Sherehog Benedict & Osgyth C11th1666
St Botolph Billingsgate Botwulf of Thorney Medieval1666
St Faith under St Paul's Faith Medieval1666Building demolished 1256; worshippers used west crypt under St Paul’s Quire
St Gabriel Fenchurch Gabriel C12th1666
St Gregory by St Paul's Pope Gregory I C10th1666
St John the Baptist upon Walbrook John the Baptist Medieval1666
St John the Evangelist Friday Street John the Evangelist Medieval1666
St John Zachary John the Baptist Medieval1666
St Laurence Pountney Lawrence C13th1666
St Leonard, Eastcheap Leonard of Noblac C11th1666Rebuilt 1618
St Leonard, Foster Lane Leonard of Noblac C13th1666
St Margaret Moses Margaret the Virgin Medieval1666
St Margaret, New Fish Street Margaret the Virgin C10th1666
St Martin Orgar Martin of Tours Medieval1666Remains used by French Protestants until 1820. Tower survives (though rebuilt) as part of St Clement's
St Martin Pomary Martin of Tours Medieval1666
St Martin Vintry Martin of Tours Medieval1666Rebuilt 1306
St Mary Bothaw Mary C10th1666
St Mary Colechurch Mary Medieval1666
St Mary Mounthaw Mary Medieval1666
St Mary Staining Mary Medieval1666
St Mary Woolchurch Haw Mary C11th1666
St Michael-le-Querne Michael C12th1666
St Mary Magdalen, Milk Street Mary Magdalene C12th1666
St Nicholas Acons Nicholas C11th1666
St Nicholas Olave Nicholas Medieval1666
St Olave Silver Street Olaf II of Norway C12th1666Rebuilt 1609
St Pancras, Soper Lane Pancras of Rome Medieval1666
St Peter, Paul's Wharf Peter C12th1666
St Peter, Westcheap Peter C12th1666
St Thomas the Apostle, London Thomas C12th1666
St Christopher le Stocks Christopher C13th1781Rebuilt 1672. Demolished
St Michael, Crooked Lane Michael C13th1831Rebuilt 1336, 1687. Demolished
St Bartholomew-by-the-Exchange Bartholomew C13th1840Rebuilt 1675–1683. Demolished
St Benet Fink Benedict of Nursia C10th1841Rebuilt 1670–1675. Demolished 1842–1846
St Mary Somerset Mary C12th1867Rebuilt 1686–1694. Demolished 1871; tower remains
St Benet Gracechurch Benedict of Nursia C11th1868Rebuilt 1681–1687. Demolished
All Hallows Staining All Saints C12th1870Rebuilt 1674. Demolished 1870 apart from tower
St Mildred, Poultry Mildrith C12th1871Rebuilt 1456, 1676. Demolished 1872
St James Duke's Place James the Great 16221874Rebuilt 1727. Demolished
St Martin Outwich Martin of Tours C14th1874Rebuilt 1796–1798. Demolished
St Antholin, Budge Row Anthony the Great C12th1875Rebuilt 1513, 1678–1684. Demolished
St Michael Queenhithe Michael C12th1875Rebuilt 1676–1686. Demolished 1876
All Hallows, Bread Street All Saints C13th1878Rebuilt 1681–1684. Demolished
St Dionis Backchurch Dionysus the Areopagite C13th1878Rebuilt 1674. Demolished
St Matthew Friday Street Matthew C13th1885Rebuilt 1682–1685. Demolished
St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street Mary Magdalene C12th1886Rebuilt 1683–1687. Demolished 1893
St Olave Old Jewry Olaf II of Norway C9th-C11th1887Rebuilt 1671–1679. Demolished 1887; tower remains
St George Botolph Lane George C12th1890Rebuilt 1671–1676. Demolished 1904
St Michael Bassishaw Michael C12th1892Rebuilt 1675–1679. Demolished 1900
All-Hallows-the-Great All Saints C12th1894Rebuilt 1677–1684. Demolished
St Michael Wood Street Michael C13th1897Rebuilt 1673. Demolished
Holy Trinity Gough Square Trinity 18371906Demolished
St Peter le Poer Peter C12th1907Rebuilt 1792. Demolished
St Alphage London Wall Ælfheah of Canterbury C12th1918Moved buildings C16th. Rebuilt 1774–1777. Mostly demolished 1923, now ruins only
St Katherine Coleman Catherine of Alexandria Medieval1926Rebuilt 1741. Demolished
All Hallows Lombard Street All Saints C11th1937Rebuilt 1694. Demolished
St Mary Aldermanbury Mary C12th1940Damaged in Blitz. Stones rebuilt in Westminster College, Missouri 1966
Christ Church Greyfriars Jesus C13th1940Rebuilt 1306–1326. Was part of Franciscan monastery. Rebuilt 1687. Destroyed, apart from tower, 1940
St Alban, Wood Street Alban C10th1940Rebuilt 1634, 1685. Partially destroyed in Blitz; tower remains
St Stephen Coleman Street Stephen C13th1940Rebuilt 1677, destroyed by bombing 1940
St Swithin, London Stone Swithun C13th1940Rebuilt 1420, 1678, damaged by bombing 1940 and demolished 1962
St Augustine Watling Street Augustine of Canterbury C12th1941Rebuilt 1683, destroyed in Blitz
St Dunstan-in-the-East Dunstan C11th1941Rebuilt 1817–1821. Damaged in Blitz; walls and tower remain
St Michael Paternoster Royal Michael C13th1941Rebuilt 1685–1694, 1966–1968 (after Blitz). Now HQ of Mission to Seafarers. Guild church
St Mildred, Bread Street Mildrith C13th1941Rebuilt 1677–1683, destroyed by bombing 1941
St Andrew Undershaft Andrew C12th?Rebuilt C14th, 1532. Now part of St Helen's Bishopsgate benefice
St Anne and St Agnes Anne & Agnes C12th?Rebuilt 1548, 1680, 1966. Used by Lutheran Church 1966–2013. Now the Gresham Centre
St Edmund, King and Martyr Edmund the Martyr C13th?Rebuilt 1670–1679. Disused, once base for London Centre for Spirituality, now a hospitality centre
St Ethelburga, Bishopsgate Æthelburh of Barking C13th?Rebuilt 1411, 1993 (following bombing). Now Centre for Reconciliation and Peace
St Peter upon Cornhill Peter Ancient?Now part of St Helen's and used for Bible studies and youth clubs
St Clement, Eastcheap Pope Clement I C11th2012Rebuilt 1680s. Incorporates old tower of St Martin Orgar. Recently gutted to be turned into office space [9]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ Porter, Roy (1994) London: A Social History, Cambridge: Harvard. pp.87–88
  2. ↑ Cooper, Michael (2003) A More Beautiful City: Robert Hooke and the Rebuilding of London after the Great Fire. Sutton Publishing Ltd. ISBN   0-7509-2959-6
  3. ↑ Hart, Vaughan, Nicholas Hawksmoor: Rebuilding Ancient Wonders. Yale University Press, 2002. ISBN   0-300-09699-2
  4. ↑ Davidson Cragoe, Carol (4 February 2005). "Towards the Floodgates of Religious Reform". History Trails: Church and State. BBC History . Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "For my own part I view the work of Sir Christopher Wren as a beacon which never fails to inspire. And there is no finer monument of his genius than the character he gave to London," Sir Edwin Lutyens. From London City Churches
  6. ↑ "LONDON city churches". simonknott.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2017.
  7. ↑ "St Botolphs Aldersgate – St Botolphs Aldersgate". stbotolphsaldersgate.org.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  8. ↑ "Sanctuary in the City". sanctuaryinthecity.net. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
  9. ↑ "LONDON city churches". simonknott.co.uk. Retrieved 6 October 2017.

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