List of churches in London
London has many famous churches, chapels and cathedrals, in a density unmatched anywhere else in England. Before the Great Fire of London in 1666, the City of London alone had over 107 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. 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. The designs of the Wren office have provided a benchmark for church architecture ever since. Their character of pragmatism and fitness for purpose combined with a joyous inventiveness do seem to reflect Wren's personality in particular.
Wren also designed a number of churches outside the City, including St. James's Piccadilly and St. Clement Danes. After Wren, Hawksmoor was by common consent London's most significant church architect, being responsible in his own right for six great churches of which most still stand in the East End of London.
London's churches are extraordinarily numerous and diverse. Most lie within the Anglican dioceses of London to the north and the Southwark to the south. There are still some two thousand churches across the capital, of every age and style, to 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 were built to cater for the growing urban population; the "Waterloo churches" programme, for example, saw numerous churches constructed across south London in the first half of the century.
Although many churches were lost entirely or in part to 19th century demolitions and to bombing in the Second World War, London's churches are still renowned worldwide for their historical and architectural value.
Today, London's greatest concentrations of historic churches and cathedrals are 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.
Unless noted otherwise, this list of churches belong to the Anglican church.
Camden
• All Saints, Camden Town (originally St Stephen's, and now All Saints Greek Orthodox Cathedral)
• St. George's, Bloomsbury
• St-Giles-in-the-fields
• St John's Chapel, Bedford Row
• St Pancras New Church
• St Pancras Old Church
• Whitefield's Tabernacle, Tottenham Court Road
• St Michael's Church, Camden Town
City of London
• All Hallows-by-the-Tower
• All Hallows-on-the-Wall (1767)
• All Hallows, Staining (partly destroyed)
• Christ Church, Greyfriars (also known as Christ Church Newgate - partly destroyed)
• St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe (1695)
• St Andrew, Holborn (1690)
• St Andrew Undershaft (1532)
• St Anne and St Agnes (1680)
• St Augustine, Watling Street (partly destroyed)
• St Bartholomew-the-Great (12th century)
• St Bartholomew-the-Less
• St Benet, Paul's Wharf (also known as St Benet Welsh Church) (1683)
• St Botolph's Aldgate (1791)
• St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate (1729)
• St Bride's, Fleet Street (1698)
• St Clement, Eastcheap (1687)
• St Dunstan-in-the-East (partly destroyed)
• St Dunstan-in-the-West (1833)
• St Edmund, King & Martyr (1679)
• St Ethelburga, Bishopsgate (1411?)
• St Etheldreda's Church (1251)
• St Giles' Cripplegate (c.1550)
• St Helen's, Bishopsgate (13th century)
• St James, Garlickhythe (1683)
• St Katherine Cree (1631)
• St Lawrence Jewry (1687)
• St Leonard, Foster Lane
• St Magnus the Martyr (1676)
• St Margaret Lothbury (1690)
• St Margaret Pattens (1687)
• St Martin, Ludgate (1684)
• St Mary Abchurch (1686)
• St Mary Aldermary (1682)
• St Mary-at-Hill (1676)
• St Mary-le-Bow (1683)
• St Mary Moorfields (1686/1903)
• St Mary Woolnoth (1727)
• St Michael, Cornhill (1672)
• St Michael, Paternoster Royal (1694)
• St Nicholas, Cole Abbey (1677)
• St Olave, Hart Street (c.1450)
• St Paul's Cathedral
• St Peter upon Cornhill (1682)
• St Sepulchre-without-Newgate (also known as Church of the Holy Sepulchre (Holborn))
• St Stephen Walbrook (1677)
• St Vedast alias Foster (1673)
• Temple Church (12th century)
East End of London
• Christ Church, Spitalfields
• Church of Good Shepherd
• St Anne's, Limehouse
• St Dunstan's, Stepney
• Abney Park Chapel
• St George in the East
• Trinity Independent Chapel
Greenwich
• St Alfege's Church (1714)
Fulham
• Our Lady Of Perpetual Help
Islington
• St Mary Magdalene Church (1814)
Kensington & Chelsea
• Brompton Oratory
• Chelsea Old Church (All Saints)
• St Luke, Chelsea, Sydney Street
• Holy Redeemer and St Thomas Moore, Cheyne Row
• Holy Trinity Brompton
• Holy Trinity, Sloane Street
• St Barnabas, Kensington
• St Columba's, Pont Street - Church of Scotland
• St Mary Abbots, Kensington
• Westbourne Grove Church (1823) (formerly Westbourne Grove Baptist Church - now part of Salt and Light Ministries)
Lambeth
• Church.co.uk, Waterloo
Rotherhithe
• All Saints', Rotherhithe
• St Mary, Rotherhithe (1714)
• Finnish Church and Seamen's Mission (1958)
• Norwegian Church (1927)
Southwark
• All Saints Church, Peckham - Church of England
• St George's Cathedral - Roman Catholic
• St George the Martyr (1122}
• Southwark Cathedral (St Saviour & St Mary Overie) (1220) - Church of England
• Metropolitan Tabernacle
Tower Hamlets
• St Mary’s, Bow (1311, rebuilt 15th century, 19th century)
• St. Paul's Church, Shadwell
Westminster
• All Saints, Margaret Street (1859)
• All Souls, Langham Place (1824)
• Crown Court Church (1711, rebuilt 1909) - Church of Scotland
• St Anne's Church, Soho
• St Clement Danes (1682)
• St George's, Hanover Square (1724)
• St James's, Piccadilly (1684)
• St Margaret's, Westminster (1523; orig. 12th century)
• St Martin-in-the-Fields (1726)
• St Mary-le-Strand (1717)
• St Paul's, Covent Garden (1638)
• Swedish Church (1911)
• Westminster Abbey (parts 1065; orig. 616)
• Westminster Cathedral (1903) - Roman Catholic
• Westminster Chapel (1840) - Independent Church
All Hallows-by-the-Tower
Byward Street EC3
Samuel Pepys climbed the tower of All Hallows to look upon the destruction of the Great Fire. The church, which dates from the 12th-15th centuries, was badly damaged in the Blitz, though the font cover carved by Grinling Gibbons was untouched. In the crypt there is evidence of Roman paving, and stones from the 7th century Saxon church that stood here. All Hallows greatest claim to fame is its association with famed diarist Samuel Pepys. When the Great Fire of London raged in 1666, Pepys climbed the brick tower of All Hallows to watch the progress of the fire across London. Pepys lived in Seething Lane, across the road from All Hallows.
But there is more to this historic church than its use as an observation post! All Hallows by-the-Tower lays claim to being the oldest church in London. The original church was founded by the Abbey of Barking in 675, and an arch from that first church still survives. Beneath the Saxon arch, traces of Roman pavement can be seen, evidence that this site was in use as far back as 2000 years ago.
All Hallows has a bloody history; due to its close proximity to the Tower of London, the church received the bodies of many of those unfortunates executed in that spot, including Archbishop Laud (1645), Bishop Fisher (1535), and Sir Thomas More (1535).
The church has strong associations with the United States; In 1644 William Penn, father of the founder of Pennsylvannia, was christened here, and the second president of the USA, John Quincy Adams, was married in All Hallows while ambassador to the Court of St James.
In the crypt is an altar believed to have been carried on the Second Crusade by King Richard II.
The church was badly damaged in the Blitz, and though the font cover carved by Grinling Gibbons was untouched, only the tower and walls survived the bombing. The Queen Mother laid a new foundation stone for the church in 1948, signalling the rebuilding of the historic edifice.
There is a museum in the Undercroft, and a brass-rubbing centre, one of only two such centres in London. The brass rubbing centre is open daily, but closed during church services. Staff are available to help visitors make their own rubbings of facsimile medieval memorial brasses. Entry to the brass Rubbing centre is free, but a small charge is made for the rubbings.
All Hallows London Wall
London Wall, EC2
18th century church built by George Dance the Younger. The churchyard is bounded by one of the few remaining sections of the original London Wall. All Hallows, buillt in 1765, is the work of George Dance the Younger (1741-1825), son of the designer of Mansion House, London. The younger Dance was only 24 when he designed this delightful little church, tucked in beside the old Roman Wall of the City of London. In the churchyard are traces of the Roman wall, indicating the great antiquity of the site.
The church itself is understated, almost plain, on the exterior, yet deliciously airy and light inside, with fluted Ionic columns supporting the vault. Dance was heavily influenced by Italian classical design in his work, and later went on to become a founding member of the Royal Academy, and Clerk of the City Works for London, suceeding his father in that post. He later designed the infamous Newgate Prison (now destroyed).
The church suffered minor damage by bombs during the Blitz, but the restoration was sympathetically performed, amfd dores not detract from the overall effect of Dance's work.
All Hallows Staining
Mark Lane, EC3
Historic early church, beloved of Queen Elizabeth I. Little but the tower remains from this early church, believed to be one of the first built in the City of London.
Certainly it was in existence in the 16th century, for Princess Elizabeth, later Elizabeth I, donated new bell ropes to the church, as she said that the church bells had been music to her ears during her imprisonment at the nearby Tower of London. One of those famous bells, dated to 1458, is preserved at Grocers Hall, London.
All Hallows Staining collapsed in 1671, due perhaps to weakening of the foundations from the high number of burials at the church. A new church was built, but this was dismantled in 1870, leaving only the tower. This tower, a severe example of Perpendicular Gothic style, was sold to The Clothworkers' Company, on condition that they maintain the site in perpetuity. It appears they have held to their bargain, for the tower still stands, amid more modern, but perhaps less appealing, London architecture.
As an aside, the name "Staining" does not refer to discolouration, or to a district of old London, but derives from "Staniggecherch" or "stone church".
All Saints
Margaret Street, W1
A striking Victorian Gothic design in coloured bricks built by William Butterworth in 1849. All Saints is a Victorian Gothic masterpiece executed by William Butterfield beginning in 1849. Butterfield was a devout Catholic with strong views on church architecture, and in All Saints he found a perfect canvas to express his religious and architectural creativity.
The church was funded by a wealthy businessman, AJ Beresford Hope, who handed Butterfield the unenviable task of cramming a church, clergy house, and choir school into a narrow city plot, bounded on three sides by neighbouring buildings. Not only that, but the church buildings had to express the flowering Tractarian ideals then so prevalent in Britain.
Butterfield succeeded brilliantly; All Saints is probably the most influential urban church built in the Victorian era. In his design Butterfield drew heavily on Gothic themes and work by AW Pugin.
All Saints opens onto Margaret Street by way of a small courtyard, entered through a pointed arch. The building is of red and black bricks, pierced by small, randomly spaced windows. The church achieves its powerful emotional effect by dint of sheer height of the strong tower, which soars upward in imitation of Perpendicular Gothic style.
The Tractarians believed that the exterior should be plain, unadorned, and time and money lavished to create an evocative interior. Influenced by the writings of John Ruskin, Butterfield set about to show how a relatively gloomy interior could be made to shine with colour through use of chequered patterns, polished granite piers, coloured tiles, rich stained glass, and the painted reredos by Dyce.
Butterfield's aesthetic tastes changed over the years it took to finish All Saints, leading to arguments with the patron, Beresford Hope, who felt that his architect was deviating from the original vision. That said, the overall effect of All Saints is glorious, though not always harmonious, Victorian idealism realized.
All Soul's
Langham Place, W1
Classical design by John Nash built in 1822 as part of his vision for developing Regent Street. A circular portico is topped by a remarkable needle spire. In a roundabout way, All Soul's owes its existence to the Duke of Wellington. This classical West End church was built in part in a celebration of thanks for Wellington's victory over Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo.
The church was designed by John Nash from 1822-1824 as part of his grand vision for developing Regent Street. A bust of Nash graces the portico of All Soul's.
Nash had the backing from the Prince Regent for a grand redevelopment scheme in central London, entailing a broad route from Regents Park to Carlton House in The Mall. The scheme, which included plans for parks, villas, crescents, a canal, and terraced houses for the nobility, included the church of All Soul's.
The church is a delight to the eye, but it was not well received when it was first constructed. Nash was criticized for the design, particularly the slender conical spire, which rises above the circular "wedding cake" peristyle and portico.
All Soul's is set an an angle to the street, though the effect is harmonious to the eye. It is also the only Nash church in London.
All Soul's is located across the road from BBC Broadcasting House, and has often been used by the BC for broadcasting, as well as occasional organ recitals.
Brompton Oratory (London Oratory)
Brompton Road, SW7
An ornate (that's putting it mildly!) Italian Catholic church built in 1884. Magnificent organ containing nearly 4000 pipes. The third widest nave in Britain after Westminster Abbey and York Minster. This extraordinary Roman Catholic church is actually the Oratory of St Philip Neri, but it is more commonly, though inaccurately, called the Brompton Oratory. The structure was begun in 1878 and the remarkable dome completed by 1896 in flamboyant Baroque style. The nave is exceeded in width only by Westminster Abbey and York Minster.
The Oratory is the British headquarters of the Catholic Oratorian order, founded by Fillipo Neri, and the unabashed Italian style of the architecture and ebullient design is entirely intentional. The architect of the Oratory, Herbert Gribble, intended the church to offer an example to those who were unable to see an Italian church for themselves. One would have to say that he succeeded admirably, for the London Oratory is quite unique in Britain in its use of decorative colour and structure.
As remarkable as the Oratory is to the eye of the beholder, it seems equally remarkable that Gribble was selected as the architect of the church. At the time the Oratorians decided to build a new church in Brompton, Gribble was a untried architect of only 28 years, yet he had the favour of the Duke of Norfolk, who acted as his patron. In 1879 Gribble's plan for a permanent church to replace the order's temporary quarters won an architectural competition and the young architect was thrust into the limelight.
The core of the church was built from 1880-1884, and the entrance and outer dome followed over the next dozen years . Gribble died prematurely in 1894 and the dome was completed by George Sherrin. The resulting church towers magnificently over its surroundings, quite overwhelming the nearby Anglican church of Holy Trinity by comparison.
As impressive as the interior of the London Oratory is to behold, it is the extraordinary interior that causes the observer's breath to catch in his or her throat. Here the Italian influence is at its greatest. Much of the interior decoration is of 20th century provenance, and is not as Gribble intended. The lavishly gilded nave and dome mosaics are the work of Comandatore Formilli (1927-32). Though the dome is striking, it is the pulpit that catches the eye first; this baroque wonder seems alive with flowing lines and extravagant decoration quite seldom seen in British churches.
Though the church is primarily 19th century, it contains much older elements. The figures of the 12 apostles in the nave were carved for Siena cathedral in 1680 and the Lady Chapel boasts an altar and reredos from the late 17th century. Taken as a whole, the London Oratory is an extraordinary architectural monument, made even more remarkable by the fact that such enthusiastic Italian style is so rarely seen in Britain.
Chelsea Old Church (All Saints)
Cheyne Walk, SW3
Although the church was damaged in the Blitz (later restored), the 1528 More Chapel, built for Sir Thomas More and his family, survived unaltered.
Holy Trinity
Sloane Street, SW7
Arts and Crafts style church with superb stained-glass windows executed by Edward Burne-Jones.
St. Alfege
Church Street, Greenwich, SE10
Thomas Tallis, "the Father of English Church Music", is buried in this 1718 church designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor. The church was badly damaged in the Blitz but has been restored.
St. Andrew
Holborn Circus, EC1
The largest parish church designed by Christopher Wren. Thomas Coram, founder of the Foundlings Hospital, is buried here.
St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
Queen Victoria Street,. EC4
The offices of the Redundant Churches Fund are in this church, which was damaged beyond repair in the Blitz.
St. Andrew Undershaft
St. Mary Axe, Leadenhall Street, EC3
A largely Tudor church housing a memorial to John Stow, author of the 1598 "A Survey of London". The unusual name of the church comes from the fact that a popular maypole once stood nearby.
St. Anne and St. Agnes
Gresham Street, EC2
Small gem rebuilt by Wren after the Great Fire.
St. Anne Limehouse
Commercial Road, E14
A striking tower tops the Classical church designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1712.
St. Bartholomew-the-Great
West Smithfield, EC1
One of the few remaining Norman churches in London. Began in the 12th century as the chancel of a monastery on this spot. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries the building saw use as a stable and factory, before reverting to a church in the 19th century. The entry is a 13th century arch with a half-timbered gatehouse above.
St. Bartholomew-the-less
West Smithfield, EC1
A 15th century tower and vestry are melded into an 18th century design in this chapel of St. Bartholomew's Hospital.
St. Benet's
Paul's Wharf, Queen Victoria Street, EC4
Welsh Episcopalian church designed by Christopher Wren.
St. Botolph
Aldersgate, EC1
Georgian church on 11th century foundations, blessed with excellent stained-glass.
St. Bride's
Fleet Street, EC4
Recently restored to Christopher Wren's design, this is the "church of the press", so named for its use by newspaper reporters from Fleet Street. This is the eighth church in this location, and remains of the other seven, plus Roman pavement, can be seen in the crypt museum.
St. Clement Danes
Strand, WC2
The official church of the Royal Air Force contains over 8oo badges of RAF squadrons and units. The first church here was built in the 9th century. The bells are famous in the nursery rhyme "Oranges and Lemons".
St. George's Cathedral
Lambeth Road, Southwark, SE1
Catholic cathedral designed by Pugin.
St. Giles Cripplegate
London Wall, EC2
The first church here dates to 1090. John Milton is buried at St. Giles.
St. Magnus the Martyr
Lower Thames St., EC3 - by London Bridge
Rebuilt by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire; records show the history of the church in honour of St Magnus dates back at least to 1067. The present building was described by T. S. Eliot in 1922 as holding "inexplicable splendour of Ionian white and gold".
St. Martin-in-the-Fields
Trafalgar Square, WC2
Classical church famous for the classical orchestra of the same name. Lunchtime concerts Monday, Tuesday, Friday.
St. Mary-le-Bow
Cheapside, EC2
A true Cockney must be born within the sound of the bells of St. Mary-le-Bow. The present church is a Wren design.
St. Paul's Cathedral
Ludgate Hill, EC4
Christopher Wren's classical masterpiece. The present cathedral replaces Old St. Paul's, which was destroyed in the Great Fire. There is a museum in the crypt, and memorials to Wren, John Donne, and the Duke of Wellington. When most people think of St. Paul's Cathedral in London the image of Christopher Wren's magnificent classical church rises in their minds, but there was a cathedral dedicated to St. Paul long before the able Mr. Wren put his stamp on the skyline of Stuart London.
The first church on this spot was erected in 604 AD, just 8 short years after the first Christian mission under St. Augustine landed in Kent. This wooden church was established by King Ethelbert of Kent as home to the first bishop of the East Saxons, Mellitus.That first church was destroyed by fire and rebuilt by St. Erkenwald, then bishop, in 675-85. Fire was not the only danger faced by buildings in those dark centuries of Anglo-Saxon England - the Vikings destroyed the second St. Paul's in 962 during on of their periodic invasions.
Once again, fire destroyed the church in 1087. The new Norman building, now called Old St. Paul's, took over 150 years to complete, the final touches being applied in 1240. Well, not quite final touches - a new Gothic choir was added by 1313, making St. Paul's the third longest church in Europe at 596 feet.The following year the spire was completed. At 489 feet it was the tallest in all Europe.In the Tudor period an open-air pulpit called Paul's Cross was established by the south wall of St. Paul's. There crowds gathered to hear rabble-rousing Protestant sermons. In 1549 the preachers incited a mob to sack the cathedral itself. They rampaged through the interior, destroying the high altar and ravaginbg the tombs, wall-hangings, and tombs.
St. Paul's bad luck continued. The spire was struck by lightning (not too surprising, considering how it towered over the city). The cathedral became a centre of trade, with merchants selling their wares in the nave of the church iteslf. Architect Inigo Jones was called in to resurrect the decaying building, but his efforts, hampered by lack of funds, only delayed the inevitable.During the English Civil War, Parliamentary troops commandeered the cathedral and used the nave as cavalry barracks. They broke up the scaffolding and sold the material.
The fortunes of Old St. Paul's seemed to take a turn for the better with the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. Charles II appointed a young architect named Christopher Wren to undertake major repairs to the building. Wren had only begun his work when final calamity struck. On September 4, 1666, fire broke out in a bakehouse in Pudding Lane. Fanned by a fierce wind, the fire spread through the close-packed streets of London, destroying everything in its path. For four days the fire raged, and when the smoke finally cleared, Old St. Paul's was nothing but charred timbers and rubble.
Southwark Cathedral
London Bridge, SE1
Gothic church contains magnificent stone carvings, and the tomb of Shakespeare's brother Edmund.
Temple Church
The Temple, EC4
One of the oldest buildings in London, this delightful round church is tucked away in a quiet courtyard, just yards from the hurly burly of busy Fleet Street to the north. The church was built by the Knights Templar in 1185.
Wesley's Chapel
City Road, EC1
The "mother church of world Methodism" opened by Wesley in 1778. There is a Methodist museum in the crypt.
Westminster Abbey
Parliament Square, SW1
The premier church of the realm and burial place of many of Britain's monarchs. In this series of articles we'll take a look at the most famous necropolis (burial place) in Britain - Westminster Abbey. The Abbey has such a long history that we'll break things up a bit into edible chunks - history is easier to digest that way
The Abbey at Westminster is built upon what was once an island - Thorney Island - a marshy retreat from the City of London. The island was at one time flanked by two channels of the Tyburn River, which flowed where Downing Street and Great College Street now run. There may have been a Christian church on Thorney Island as early as 604 AD, just eight years after the first Christian mission under St Augustine landed near Canterbury in 596 AD. In that same year of 604, Ethelbert, uncle of the king of the East Saxons, founded St Paul's in the City of London.
Later royals followed the pattern; King Edgar (957-75) gave land for a church, and several kings, including Canute and Ethelred, donated relics. St Dunstan endowed a place for a dozen monks in 960 AD. But it is to one man that we owe the marvellous church we can see today. Edward the Confessor (1042-1066) had a vision of an eclesiastic-royal complex including a palace with a large monastery and an abbey church suitable for royal functions and burials. Devout though Edward certainly was, he was also driven by guilt in his building project. Earlier in his reign he had been forced to flee from a Danish invasion into exile in Normandy. He made a solemn vow that if he ever regained his throne he would make a pilgrimage to Rome in gratitude.
He did indeed manage to oust the Danes and regain the throne, but the politically uncertain climate made it unwise for him to leave for Rome. Pope Leo, being an understanding sort, excused Edward from his vow - on condition that the king re-endow the monastery of Westminster. So Edward went to work. He rebuilt the old Saxon church in the new Romanesque style and began his palace nearby. The work was consecrated on December 28, 1065, but Edward himself lived only another eight days. Harold Godwinson followed him as king, and he may have begun the tradition of royal coronations in the Abbey. Certainly Harold's successor, William the Conqueror, was crowned here, on December 25, 1066.
Westminster Cathedral
Victoria, SW1
The most imposing and most important Catholic church in England, a marvel in multi-coloured brick.
