List of Christopher Wren churches in London

Churches in the City of London

Eighty-eight parish churches were burned during the Great Fire of London in 1666. The office of Christopher Wren rebuilt 51 parish churches and St Paul's Cathedral. Many of these churches were demolished as the population of the City of London declined in the 19th century and more were destroyed or damaged during the Blitz.

Survived in original form

Image Name Location Date Listing Coordinates
St Benet Paul's Wharf Queen Victoria Street, Queenhithe, City of London 1677-83 Grade I (1950) 51°30′42.01″N 0°5′57.38″W / 51.5116694°N 0.0992722°W
St Clement Eastcheap Clement's Lane, Candlewick, City of London 1683-87 Grade I (1950) 51°30′40.77″N 0°5′12.81″W / 51.5113250°N 0.0868917°W
St Edmund, King and Martyr Lombard Street, Langbourn, City of London 1670-79 Grade I (1950) 51°30′44.62″N 0°5′10.68″W / 51.5123944°N 0.0863000°W
St James Garlickhythe Garlick Hill, Vintry, City of London 1676-83 Grade I (1950) 51°30′39.99″N 0°5′37.54″W / 51.5111083°N 0.0937611°W
St Margaret Lothbury Lothbury, Coleman Street Ward and Broad Street Ward, City of London 1686-90 Grade I (1950) 51°30′52.91″N 0°5′19.92″W / 51.5146972°N 0.0888667°W
St Margaret Pattens Eastcheap, Billingsgate, City of London 1684-87 Grade I (1950) 51°30′38.75″N 0°4′58.74″W / 51.5107639°N 0.0829833°W
St Martin, Ludgate Ludgate Hill, Farringdon Within, City of London 1677-84 Grade I (1950) 51°30′50.55″N 0°6′6.99″W / 51.5140417°N 0.1019417°W
St Mary Abchurch Abchurch Lane, Candlewick, City of London 1681-86 Grade I (1950) 51°30′42.02″N 0°5′18.05″W / 51.5116722°N 0.0883472°W
St Mary Aldermary Queen Victoria Street, Cordwainer, City of London 1679-82 Grade I (1950) 51°30′46″N 0°05′36″W / 51.51278°N 0.09333°W
St Michael's Cornhill Cornhill, Cornhill, City of London 1669-72 Grade I (1950) 51°30′47.50″N 0°5′7.68″W / 51.5131944°N 0.0854667°W
St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Churchyard, Castle Baynard, City of London 1675-1711 Grade I (1950) 51°30′49″N 0°05′53″W / 51.51361°N 0.09806°W
St Peter upon Cornhill Cornhill, Cornhill, City of London 1677-84 Grade I (1950) 51°30′47.7″N 0°5′4.5″W / 51.513250°N 0.084583°W
St Stephen Walbrook Walbrook, Walbrook, City of London 1672-79 Grade I (1950) 51°30′45.46″N 0°5′23.71″W / 51.5126278°N 0.0899194°W

Substantially altered before the Blitz

Image Name Location Date Listing Comment Coordinates
St Magnus-the-Martyr Lower Thames Street, Bridge, City of London 1671-87 Grade I (1950) altered after London Bridge was widened in 1762 51°30′33.41″N 0°5′10.81″W / 51.5092806°N 0.0863361°W
St Mary-at-Hill Lovat Lane, Billingsgate, City of London 1670-76 Grade I (1950) altered in 1787-88 and 1826-1827 51°30′36″N 0°05′01″W / 51.510069°N 0.08374°W

Substantially rebuilt after the Blitz

The Blitz in 1940-1941 damaged nearly all the churches in the City of London and many were nearly destroyed leaving just the outer walls and tower. However most of them were rebuilt to Wren's original design.

Image Name Location Date Listing Comment Coordinates
St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe Queen Victoria Street, Castle Baynard, City of London 1685-95 Grade I (1950) rededicated in 1961 51°30′44.44″N 0°6′4.89″W / 51.5123444°N 0.1013583°W
St Andrew, Holborn Holborn Viaduct, Farringdon Without, City of London 1686-87 Grade I (1950) re-opened in 1961 51°31′2.10″N 0°6′24.14″W / 51.5172500°N 0.1067056°W
St Anne and St Agnes Gresham Street, Aldersgate, City of London 1676-87 Grade I (1950) rededicated in 1966 51°30′59″N 0°5′47″W / 51.51639°N 0.09639°W
St Bride's Church Fleet Street, Castle Baynard, City of London 1670-84 Grade I (1950) rededicated in 1957 51°30′50″N 0°6′21″W / 51.51389°N 0.10583°W
St Lawrence Jewry Gresham Street, Cheap, City of London 1670-86 Grade I (1950) restored in 1957 51°30′55″N 0°05′33″W / 51.5152°N 0.0925°W
St Mary-le-Bow Cheapside, Cordwainer, City of London 1670-83 Grade I (1950) reconsecrated in 1964 51°30′50″N 0°05′37″W / 51.51389°N 0.09361°W
St Michael Paternoster Royal College Hill, Dowgate, City of London 1686-94 Grade I (1950) restored in 1966–8 51°30′40.22″N 0°5′31.76″W / 51.5111722°N 0.0921556°W
St Nicholas Cole Abbey Queen Victoria Street, Bread Street Ward, City of London 1671-81 Grade I (1950) reconsecrated in 1962 51°30′43″N 0°5′48″W / 51.51194°N 0.09667°W
St Vedast Foster Lane Foster Lane, Cheap, City of London 1670-97 Grade I (1950) restored by 1962 51°30′53.56″N 0°5′46.08″W / 51.5148778°N 0.0961333°W

Tower remaining

These churches were destroyed in the Blitz or demolished in the 19th century. Only their towers remained with perhaps a short section of the outer wall. They are no longer working churches.

Image Name Location Date Listing Comment Coordinates
St Mary Somerset Upper Thames Street, Queenhithe, City of London 1686-94 Grade I (1950) Body of the church demolished in 1871. Tower surrounded by small garden 51°30′40.92″N 0°5′48.80″W / 51.5113667°N 0.0968889°W
St Olave Old Jewry Ironmonger Lane, Walbrook, City of London 1670-79 Grade I (1950) Body of the church was demolished in 1887. Tower is part of an office building. 51°30′52.15″N 0°5′28.70″W / 51.5144861°N 0.0913056°W
Christ Church Greyfriars Newgate Street, Farringdon Within, City of London 1677-91 Grade I (1950) Destroyed in the Blitz. The ruins are a public garden, the tower is private residence 51°30′56.94″N 0°5′56.93″W / 51.5158167°N 0.0991472°W
St Alban's, Wood Street Wood Street, Bassishaw, City of London 1682-87 Grade II (1950) Destroyed in the Blitz. The tower is private dwelling 51°30′59.69″N 0°5′38.95″W / 51.5165806°N 0.0941528°W
St Augustine Watling Street Watling Street, Bread Street Ward, City of London 1680-87 Grade I (1950) Destroyed in the Blitz. Tower part of St Paul's Cathedral Choir School 51°30′48.52″N 00°05′49.00″W / 51.5134778°N 0.0969444°W
St Dunstan-in-the-East St Dunstan's Hill, Billingsgate, City of London 1698 Grade I (1950) Rebuilt in 1817-21, but destroyed in the Blitz. Ruins are a public garden 51°30′34.82″N 0°4′57.80″W / 51.5096722°N 0.0827222°W

Stones re-used

Image Name Location Date Listing Comment Coordinates
All Hallows Lombard Street Lombard Street, Langbourn, City of London 1686-94 never listed Demolished in 1939, with the tower and interior fittings moved to All Hallows Twickenham 51°30′39.09″N 0°5′5.84″W / 51.5108583°N 0.0849556°W
St Mary Aldermanbury Aldermanbury, Bassishaw, City of London 1670-74 Grade II (1972) Ruined in 1940, and the stones transported to Fulton, Missouri in 1964. Rebuilt as a memorial to Sir Winston Churchill 51°30′59.34″N 0°5′35.06″W / 51.5164833°N 0.0930722°W

Demolished due to the Union of Benefices Act (chronological order)

The population of the City of London declined sharply in the 19th century, and the Union of Benefices Act 1860 reduced the number of parish churches. The surplus churches were demolished.

Image Name Location Date Comment Coordinates
St Benet Gracechurch Gracechurch Street, Bridge, City of London 1681-87 demolished in 1868 51°30′42″N 0°5′6″W / 51.51167°N 0.08500°W
St Mildred, Poultry Poultry, Cheap, City of London 1670-77 demolished in 1872 51°30′49″N 0°5′24″W / 51.51361°N 0.09000°W
St Antholin, Budge Row Watling Street, Cordwainer, City of London 1678-84 demolished in 1875 51°30′45″N 0°05′31″W / 51.51250°N 0.09194°W
St Michael Queenhithe Upper Thames Street, Queenhithe, City of London 1676-86 demolished in 1876 51°30′40″N 0°5′42″W / 51.51111°N 0.09500°W
All Hallows Bread Street Bread Street, Bread Street Ward, City of London 1681-1698 demolished in 1878 51°30′47″N 0°05′42″W / 51.5131°N 0.0951°W
St Dionis Backchurch Fenchurch Street, Langbourn, City of London 1670-77 demolished in 1878 51°30′43″N 0°5′2″W / 51.51194°N 0.08389°W
St Matthew Friday Street Friday Street, Bread Street Ward, City of London 1682-85 demolished in 1885 51°30′49″N 0°5′44″W / 51.51361°N 0.09556°W
St Mary Magdalen Old Fish Street Old Change, Castle Baynard, City of London 1683-87 demolished in 1893 51°30′45″N 0°5′51″W / 51.51250°N 0.09750°W
All-Hallows-the-Great Upper Thames Street, Dowgate, City of London 1677-84 demolished in 1894 51°30′36″N 0°05′25″W / 51.5100°N 0.0902°W
St Michael Wood Street Wood Street, Cripplegate, City of London 1670-75 demolished in 1897 51°30′56″N 0°5′41.5″W / 51.51556°N 0.094861°W

Demolished for other reasons (chronological order)

Image Name Location Date Demolition Reason Coordinates
St Christopher le Stocks Threadneedle Street, Broad Street Ward, City of London 1670-71 demolished in 1782 to provide space for the extension of the Bank of England 51°30′51″N 0°05′19″W / 51.5141°N 0.0886°W
St Michael, Crooked Lane Miles's Lane, Candlewick, City of London 1687 demolished in 1831 wider approaches were needed for the rebuilt London Bridge 51°30′39″N 0°05′14″W / 51.51070°N 0.087280°W
St Bartholomew-by-the-Exchange Bartholomew Lane, Broad Street Ward, City of London 1675-83 demolished in 1840 to provide space for the widening of Threadneedle Street 51°30′50″N 0°05′14″W / 51.51376°N 0.0873°W
St Benet Fink Threadneedle Street, Broad Street Ward, City of London 1670-75 demolished between 1841 and 1846 to improve the site of the Royal Exchange 51°30′50″N 0°5′10″W / 51.51389°N 0.08611°W
St Michael Bassishaw Basinghall Street, Bassishaw, City of London 1675-79 demolished in 1900 judged structurally unsafe in 1892 51°31′0.1″N 0°5′30″W / 51.516694°N 0.09167°W
St George Botolph Lane Botolph Lane, Billingsgate, City of London 1671-76 demolished in 1904 judged structurally unsafe and closed 1901 51°30′38″N 0°5′7″W / 51.51056°N 0.08528°W

Destroyed in the Blitz

These churches were destroyed in the Blitz and their ruins demolished afterwards.

Image Name Location Date Demolition Coordinates
St Stephen Coleman Street Coleman Street, Coleman Street Ward, City of London 1677 1940 51°30′56″N 0°05′25″W / 51.5155°N 0.0904°W
St Mildred, Bread Street Bread Street, Bread Street Ward, City of London 1677-83 1941 51°30′44″N 0°05′43″W / 51.5123°N 0.0952°W
St Swithin, London Stone Cannon Street, Walbrook, City of London 1678 1962 51°30′42″N 0°5′22″W / 51.51167°N 0.08944°W

Interior refurbished by Christopher Wren

Image Name Location Date Listing Comment Coordinates
Temple Church Fleet Street, Farringdon Without, City of London 1682-83 Grade I (1950) During the restoration after the Blitz Wren's wooden altar was discovered in a museum and was restored to its original position 51°30′47.52″N 0°06′37.44″W / 51.5132000°N 0.1104000°W

Churches built outside the City of London

These churches were outside the area of the Great Fire of London.

Image Name Location Date Listing Comment Coordinates
St Anne's Church, Soho Dean Street, Soho, City of Westminster 1677-85 Grade II (1958) The body of the church by Wren and William Talman was destroyed in the Blitz and later totally demolished; the preserved tower was built by S.P. Cockerell in 1801-03 51°30′45″N 0°07′56″W / 51.5124°N 0.1323°W
St Clement Danes The Strand, City of Westminster 1680-82 Grade I (1958) Destroyed in 1941; reconsecrated in 1958 after the Blitz. 51°30′47″N 0°06′50″W / 51.513107°N 0.113898°W
St James's Church, Piccadilly Piccadilly, St James's, City of Westminster 1676-84 Grade I (1958) Destroyed in 1940; restored in 1947-54 after the Blitz 51°30′31″N 0°8′12″W / 51.50861°N 0.13667°W
Chapel of the Royal Hospital Chelsea Royal Hospital Road, Chelsea, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 1682-87 Grade I (1969) Wren designed the rest of the Hospital, as well. 51°29′11″N 0°9′28″W / 51.48639°N 0.15778°W

See also

Bibliography

External links

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