St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate
Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3TL, United Kingdom
4.3
30 reviews
8 comments
GW89+MC London, United Kingdom
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Monday: 7–17
Tuesday: 7–17
Wedneasday: 7–17
Thursday: 7–17
Friday: 7–17
Saturday: Close
Sunday: Close
Tuesday: 7–17
Wedneasday: 7–17
Thursday: 7–17
Friday: 7–17
Saturday: Close
Sunday: Close
Seems very busy and active, the Church hall next door had a talk on and that was full to capacity.
A lot of people in and out of the Church which is a good sign and the interior is really lovely. They seem to hold a lot of events which is really good and embrace the local community.
The church is in the Bishopsgate Without area of the City of London, the part of the city that grew up outside of the Bishopsgate in the Roman wall. The route of the Roman wall ran along Wormwood Street to the south of the church. The modern street called Bishopsgate was the Roman road from London to York, Ermine Street.
Roman place of worship may have existed here but the first known is the Saxon site discovered during the construction of the current structure. A stone church is recorded on the site in 1212, greatly repaired by Lord Mayor Sir William Allen in 1572. The deliberate destruction of the sexton’s house saved the church from the Great Fire of London in 1666, but by the 18th century the church had fallen into disrepair.
The old church was demolished in 1725 and completely rebuilt by James Gould and George Dance in 1729. The East end is dressed stone but the rest of the church is brick. The aisles and galleries are separated from the nave by an arcade of composite columns. The barrel vault roof is pierced by a lantern, installed in 1820 to illuminate the gloomy interior. The font, pulpit and organ all date from the 18th century.
The church survived the Blitz largely unscathed, losing only one window. However, the 1993 Bishopsgate Bombing by the IRA destroyed all the doors and windows and ripped open the roof. Three years of restoration followed and the reopening was commemorated in a stunning stained glass window by Nicola Kantorowicz.
Beautiful stained glass window at the far end. Highly recommended.