St Andrew Undershaft

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St Andrew Undershaft is an Anglican church located at St Mary Axe in the City of London, near the Lloyd's Building. It is a rare example of a City church that has managed to escape both the Great Fire of London and the Second World War bombing.

The first church on the site was built in medieval times, being recorded in the 12th century. It was rebuilt in the 14th century and again in 1532, whence the present church dates. It is constructed in the Perpendicular style with its entrance located at the base of its off-centre tower. The interior is divided into six bays, with a variety of original fittings that has fortunately survived Victorian renovation. It used to have one of London's few surviving large stained glass windows, installed in the 17th century, but this was destroyed in an IRA bomb attack in 1992.

The church's curious name derives from the shaft of the maypole that was traditionally set up each year opposite the church. The custom continued until 1517, when student riots put an end to it, but the maypole itself survived until 1547 when a Puritan mob seized and destroyed it as a "pagan idol".

[edit] Famous people associated with the church

• John Stow, author of the Survey of London: buried 1605

[edit] See also

• List of churches and cathedrals of London

List of Churches in London, England

Camden All Saints, Camden Town · 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 · All Hallows, Staining · Christ Church, Greyfriars · St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe · St Andrew, Holborn · St Andrew Undershaft · St Anne and St Agnes · St Augustine, Watling Street · St Bartholomew-the-Great · St Bartholomew-the-Less · St Benet, Paul's Wharf · St Botolph's Aldgate · St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate · St Bride's, Fleet Street · St Clement, Eastcheap · St Dunstan-in-the-East · St Dunstan-in-the-West · St Edmund, King & Martyr · St Ethelburga, Bishopsgate · St Etheldreda, Ely Place · St Giles' Cripplegate · St Helen's, Bishopsgate · St James, Garlickhythe · St Katherine Cree · St Lawrence Jewry · St Leonard, Foster Lane · St Magnus the Martyr · St Margaret Lothbury · St Margaret Pattens · St Martin, Ludgate · St Mary Abchurch · St Mary Aldermary · St Mary-at-Hill · St Mary-le-Bow · St Mary Moorfields · St Mary Woolnoth · St Michael, Cornhill · St Michael, Paternoster Royal · St Nicholas, Cole Abbey · St Olave, Hart Street · St Peter upon Cornhill · St Sepulchre-without-Newgate · St Stephen Walbrook · St Vedast alias Foster · Temple Church  The East End 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  Fulham Our Lady Of Perpetual Help  Islington St Mary Magdalene Church  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 · St Barnabas, Kensington · St Columba's, Pont Street · St Mary Abbots, Kensington  Rotherhithe St Mary, Rotherhithe · Finnish Church and Seamen's Mission · Norwegian Church  Southwark St George the Martyr · Metropolitan Tabernacle  Tower Hamlets St Mary’s, Bow  City of Westminster All Saints, Margaret Street · All Souls, Langham Place · Crown Court Church · St Clement Danes · St George's, Hanover Square · St James's, Piccadilly · St Margaret's, Westminster · St Martin-in-the-Fields · St Mary-le-Strand · St Paul's, Covent Garden · Swedish Church

List of churches in London