St. Mary Woolnoth is one of six churches designed by the English architect Nicholas Hawksmoor.  This is perhaps his most compact church that has an unorthodox design for a church - appearing imposing not graceful.  Hawksmoor’s churches have drawn sharp opinions from poets to authors to religious and architectural critics.  The interior is typical Hawksmoor evoking a ‘cube within a cube’.  Today Hawksmoor’s reputation as an architect continues to grow beyond his role as an assistant to Christopher Wren - with an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts through June 2012 helping promote his role.  The church was slated for demolition for almost two centuries, and only in 1950 was it named to the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architecture and Historic Interest which saved it from destruction.  Originally its design would have been more imposing when it was not surrounded by city buildings.  Located on the corner of Lombard St and King William Street, the site has been a religious location for over 2000 years with both pagan and roman relics found under its foundations.

Unlike most churches, this church is generally only open during the weekdays as it caters to the City crowd (which is gone on weekends).  Services and opening hours are detailed online.  For more information visit their website at: http://stml.org.uk/

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