List of Christopher Wren churches in London

Sir Christopher Wren was 33 years old and near the beginning of his career as an architect when the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed many of the city's public buildings, including 88 of its parish churches. Wren's office was commissioned to build 51 replacement churches and St Paul's Cathedral. Many of these buildings survive to this day; others have been substantially altered or rebuilt. Some others were completely or partially destroyed during the German Blitz of 1940–41; others were demolished for different reasons.

Tribute to the memory of Sir Christopher Wren by Charles Robert Cockerell, showing an array of Wren's churches from around London imagined together

Churches in the City of London

Many of Wren's 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 WharfQueen Victoria Street, Queenhithe, City of London1677–83Grade I (1950)51°30′42.01″N 0°5′57.38″W
St Clement EastcheapClement's Lane, Candlewick, City of London1683–87Grade I (1950)51°30′40.77″N 0°5′12.81″W
St Edmund, King and MartyrLombard Street, Langbourn, City of London1670–79Grade I (1950)51°30′44.62″N 0°5′10.68″W
St James GarlickhytheGarlick Hill, Vintry, City of London1676–83Grade I (1950)51°30′39.99″N 0°5′37.54″W
St Margaret LothburyLothbury, Coleman Street Ward and Broad Street Ward, City of London1686–90Grade I (1950)51°30′52.91″N 0°5′19.92″W
St Margaret PattensEastcheap, Billingsgate, City of London1684–87Grade I (1950)51°30′38.75″N 0°4′58.74″W
St Martin, LudgateLudgate Hill, Farringdon Within, City of London1677–84Grade I (1950)51°30′50.55″N 0°6′6.99″W
St Mary AbchurchAbchurch Lane, Candlewick, City of London1681–86Grade I (1950)51°30′42.02″N 0°5′18.05″W
St Mary AldermaryQueen Victoria Street, Cordwainer, City of London1679–82Grade I (1950)51°30′46″N 0°05′36″W
St Michael's CornhillCornhill, Cornhill, City of London1669–72Grade I (1950)51°30′47.50″N 0°5′7.68″W
St Paul's CathedralSt Paul's Churchyard, Castle Baynard, City of London1675-1711Grade I (1950)51°30′49″N 0°05′53″W
St Peter upon CornhillCornhill, Cornhill, City of London1677–84Grade I (1950)51°30′47.7″N 0°5′4.5″W
St Stephen WalbrookWalbrook, Walbrook, City of London1672–79Grade I (1950)51°30′45.46″N 0°5′23.71″W

Substantially altered before the Blitz

Image Name Location Date Listing Comment Coordinates
St Magnus-the-MartyrLower Thames Street, Bridge, City of London1671–87Grade I (1950)altered after London Bridge was widened in 176251°30′33.41″N 0°5′10.81″W
St Mary-at-HillLovat Lane, Billingsgate, City of London1670–76Grade I (1950)altered in 1787–88 and 1826–2751.510069°N 0.08374°W / 51.510069; -0.08374

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-WardrobeQueen Victoria Street, Castle Baynard, City of London1685–95Grade I (1950)rededicated in 196151°30′44.44″N 0°6′4.89″W
St Andrew, HolbornHolborn Viaduct, Farringdon Without, City of London1686–87Grade I (1950)re-opened in 196151°31′2.10″N 0°6′24.14″W
St Anne and St AgnesGresham Street, Aldersgate, City of London1676–87Grade I (1950)rededicated in 196651°30′59″N 0°5′47″W
St Bride's ChurchFleet Street, Castle Baynard, City of London1670–84Grade I (1950)rededicated in 195751°30′50″N 0°6′21″W
St Lawrence JewryGresham Street, Cheap, City of London1670–86Grade I (1950)restored in 195751.5152°N 0.0925°W / 51.5152; -0.0925
St Mary-le-BowCheapside, Cordwainer, City of London1670–83Grade I (1950)reconsecrated in 196451°30′50″N 0°05′37″W
St Michael Paternoster RoyalCollege Hill, Dowgate, City of London1686–94Grade I (1950)restored in 1966–851°30′40.22″N 0°5′31.76″W
St Nicholas Cole AbbeyQueen Victoria Street, Bread Street Ward, City of London1671–81Grade I (1950)reconsecrated in 196251°30′43″N 0°5′48″W
St Vedast Foster LaneFoster Lane, Cheap, City of London1670–97Grade I (1950)restored by 196251°30′53.56″N 0°5′46.08″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 SomersetUpper Thames Street, Queenhithe, City of London1686–94Grade I (1950)Body of the church demolished in 1871. Tower surrounded by small garden51°30′40.92″N 0°5′48.80″W
St Olave Old JewryIronmonger Lane, Walbrook, City of London1670–79Grade 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
Christ Church GreyfriarsNewgate Street, Farringdon Within, City of London1677–91Grade I (1950)Destroyed in the Blitz. The ruins are a public garden, the tower is private residence51°30′56.94″N 0°5′56.93″W
St Alban's, Wood StreetWood Street, Bassishaw, City of London1682–87Grade II (1950)Destroyed in the Blitz. The tower is private dwelling51°30′59.69″N 0°5′38.95″W
St Augustine Watling StreetWatling Street, Bread Street Ward, City of London1680–87Grade I (1950)Destroyed in the Blitz. Tower part of St Paul's Cathedral Choir School51°30′48.52″N 00°05′49.00″W
St Dunstan-in-the-EastSt Dunstan's Hill, Billingsgate, City of London1698Grade I (1950)Rebuilt in 1817–21, but destroyed in the Blitz. Ruins are a public garden51°30′34.82″N 0°4′57.80″W

Stones re-used

Image Name Location Date Listing Comment Coordinates
All Hallows Lombard StreetLombard Street, Langbourn, City of London1686–94never listedDemolished in 1939, with the tower and interior fittings moved to All Hallows Twickenham51°30′39.09″N 0°5′5.84″W
St Mary AldermanburyAldermanbury, Bassishaw, City of London1670–74Grade II (1972)Ruined in 1940, and the stones transported to Fulton, Missouri in 1964. Rebuilt as a memorial to Sir Winston Churchill51°30′59.34″N 0°5′35.06″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 GracechurchGracechurch Street, Bridge, City of London1681–87demolished in 186851°30′42″N 0°5′6″W
St Mildred, PoultryPoultry, Walbrook, City of London1670–77demolished in 187251°30′49″N 0°5′24″W
St Antholin, Budge RowWatling Street, Cordwainer, City of London1678–84demolished in 187551°30′45″N 0°05′31″W
St Michael QueenhitheUpper Thames Street, Queenhithe, City of London1676–86demolished in 187651°30′40″N 0°5′42″W
All Hallows Bread StreetBread Street, Cordwainer, City of London1681–98demolished in 187851.5131°N 0.0951°W / 51.5131; -0.0951
St Dionis BackchurchFenchurch Street, Langbourn, City of London1670–77demolished in 187851°30′43″N 0°5′2″W
St Matthew Friday StreetFriday Street, Bread Street Ward, City of London1682–85demolished in 188551°30′49″N 0°5′44″W
St Mary Magdalen Old Fish StreetOld Change, Bread Street, City of London1683–87demolished in 189351°30′45″N 0°5′51″W
All-Hallows-the-GreatUpper Thames Street, Dowgate, City of London1677–84demolished in 189451.5100°N 0.0902°W / 51.5100; -0.0902
St Michael Wood StreetWood Street, Cripplegate, City of London1670–75demolished in 189751°30′56″N 0°5′41.5″W

Demolished for other reasons (chronological order)

Image Name Location Date Demolition Reason Coordinates
St Christopher le StocksThreadneedle Street, Walbrook, City of London1670–71demolished in 1782to provide space for the extension of the Bank of England51.5141°N 0.0886°W / 51.5141; -0.0886
St Michael, Crooked LaneMiles's Lane, Candlewick, City of London1687demolished in 1831wider approaches were needed for the rebuilt London Bridge51.51070°N 0.087280°W / 51.51070; -0.087280
St Bartholomew-by-the-ExchangeBartholomew Lane, Walbrook, City of London1675–83demolished in 1840to provide space for the widening of Threadneedle Street51.51376°N 0.0873°W / 51.51376; -0.0873
St Benet FinkThreadneedle Street, Cornhill, City of London1670–75demolished between 1841 and 1846to improve the site of the Royal Exchange51°30′50″N 0°5′10″W
St Michael BassishawBasinghall Street, Bassishaw, City of London1675–79demolished in 1900judged structurally unsafe in 189251°31′0.1″N 0°5′30″W
St George Botolph LaneBotolph Lane, Bridge, City of London1671–76demolished in 1904judged structurally unsafe and closed 190151°30′38″N 0°5′7″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 StreetColeman Street, Coleman Street Ward, City of London1677194051.5155°N 0.0904°W / 51.5155; -0.0904
St Mildred, Bread StreetBread Street, Vintry, City of London1677–83194151.5123°N 0.0952°W / 51.5123; -0.0952
St Swithin, London StoneCannon Street, Walbrook, City of London1678196251°30′42″N 0°5′22″W

Interior refurbished by Christopher Wren

Image Name Location Date Listing Comment Coordinates
Temple ChurchFleet Street, Farringdon Without, City of London1682–83Grade I (1950)During the restoration after the Blitz Wren's wooden altar was discovered in a museum and was restored to its original position51°30′47.52″N 0°06′37.44″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, SohoDean Street, Soho, City of Westminster1677–85Grade 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 1801–0351.5124°N 0.1323°W / 51.5124; -0.1323
St Clement DanesStrand, City of Westminster1680–82Grade I (1958)Destroyed in 1941; reconsecrated in 1958 after the Blitz.51.513107°N 0.113898°W / 51.513107; -0.113898
St James's Church, PiccadillyPiccadilly, St James's, City of Westminster1676–84Grade I (1958)Destroyed in 1940; restored in 1947–54 after the Blitz51°30′31″N 0°8′12″W
Chapel of the Royal Hospital ChelseaRoyal Hospital Road, Chelsea, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea1682–87Grade I (1969)Wren designed the rest of the Hospital, as well.51°29′11″N 0°9′28″W

See also

Bibliography

  • Betjeman, John (1992) [1967], Sovereign City of London Churches, Andover: Pitkin, ISBN 978-0-85372-565-7
  • Godwin, George (1839), Churches of London, Vols.1–2, C. Tilt
  • Huelin, G (1996), Vanished Churches of the City of London, London: Guildhall Library Publications, ISBN 978-0-900422-42-3
  • Reynolds, H (1922), The Churches of the City of London, London: The Bodley Head Limited
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