Tag Archives: Wren

St. Alfege, Greenwich ~ a rare Hawksmoor Church.

30 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by in Churches, Family Activities, Free Activities, Greenwich, Historic Buildings

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Nicholas Hawksmoor is one of Britain’s most famous architects.  He started work as a clerk for Sir Christopher Wren at age 18.  He worked with Wren on Chelsea Hospital, Hampton Court and St. Paul’s Cathedral, among other iconic buildings.   Later he helped with, and finished, the construction of Blenheim Palace, and he also built Castle Howard.  He was commissioned to complete Kings College, Cambridge and he also designed the west towers of Westminster Abbey (completed posthumously).  It is still debatable as to how much Wren influenced Hawksmoor, or the young Hawksmoor influenced Wren.  Despite such a prolific career it is somewhat surprising that there are only 6 churches in London designed and built by him - St. Alfege’s in Greenwich is one of them and an excellent example of Baroque architecture. See another of our posts for information on Hawksmoor’s St. Mary Woolnoth: http://wp.me/p2r6no-3x

History:  Alfege (Alphege) was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1006 to 1012.  He was killed 19-April-1012 by Danish raiders who had held him captive for 7 months (the first Archbishop to be murdered).  To commemorate him a church was erected on the place of his death.  Several churches have existed on this spot - the 2nd church stood here from 1290-1710.  The current church, built by Hawksmoor began construction in 1712 and was completed in 1714.  It incorporated the medieval tower (now refaced and topped with a spire).  The church was badly damaged by incendiary bombs during WWII and was restored in 1953.

Other Interesting Facts:  2012 marked the 1000 yr anniversary of Alfege’s death - an event recognized by a pilgrimage and service by the current Archbishop of Canterbury.  King Henry VIII was baptized here in 1491.   The organ console from 1552 is still viewable. General Wolfe, famous for his defeat of the French at Quebec City in 1759 but who died in combat in Canada, is buried here. In fiction, Charles Dicken’s novel Our Mutual Friend a wedding occurs here. The church is located within the Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Visiting:  The church is generally open Mon-Fri 11-4 (2pm on Thur), Sat 10-4, and Sun 12-4.  Informationl panels throughout the church provide details on its history.  Guided tours can be arranged through the church office.  There are services throughout the week.  Visit their website for details: http://st-alfege.org/

Located at:  Greenwich Church Street, Greenwich SE10 9BJ

Closest Transit:  Cutty Sark Station (DLR) or Greenwich Pier.

St. Mary Aldermary ~ the only ‘Gothic’ church by Christopher Wren

11 Thursday Oct 2012

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While most people equate Christopher Wren with St. Paul’s, his architectural company was involved in the rebuilding of many churches after the Great Fire of London.  However, this is the only remaining Wren church built in the Gothic Revival style.  So to gain a broader awareness of Wren’s architectural skill this church is a must-see.

History:  With a church at this location for over 900 years, the name ‘aldermary’ is generally believed to mean ‘the oldest church in the city dedicated to the Virgin Mary’.  It is assumed that the church was founded by Benedictine monks from Christ Church in Canterbury and over the years it has had many significant people associated with it.  In the late 16th Century, one of the church elders was Richard Chaucer, a relative of Geoffrey Chaucer.  In the 17th Century, the poet John Milton married his 3rd wife here.  Then, after the church was damaged in the Great Fire of London, it was mostly rebuilt by Christopher Wren.  While parts of the original church did survive, Wren rebuilt the church in a gothic style, unlike his other churches, and it was reopened in 1682.  According to scholars it is the best architectural example of the 17th Century Gothic Revival style in London, and the best 17th C. Gothic church in all of England.  Other items of note are the organ, built by George England, dates from 1781 and one of only two remaining wooden ‘sword rests’ - these were used by the Mayor of London to rest his ceremonial sword while attending the church.  While the church did sustain some damage during the Blitz, it remained mostly intact, providing a very original Wren masterpiece for the visitor.

Church usage:  With regular services on Mon and Thur at 1pm, the church is also home to the new monastic Moot Community.  In 2010 the church was appointed as the official home of the Moot Community by the Bishop of London.  The Moot Community is a monastic order within the Church of England for those who do not find a way to express their beliefs through traditional or contemporary expressions of the Church.

Visiting:  The church is open Mon - Fri from 11am - 3pm (free admission).  There is also an espresso bar open Mon-Fri from 8:30am - 4pm, with free wifi and free-trade coffee.

Located at: Watling Street, EC4M 9BW (just north of the intersection of Cannon & Queen Victoria St)

Closest tube: Mansion House

St. Stephen Walbrook ~ a Christopher Wren church of significance.

25 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in Churches, City of London

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By the second century A.D., the Roman Temple of Mithras stood here on the banks of a steam.  A Saxon church was built on the foundations to convert this heathen site to hallowed ground.  By 1428 the Walbrook was now a road and the church was rebuilt 20 meters east on a larger plot of ground.  The new church was one of a hundred inside the city’s square mile. In 1666 the church burnt down in the Great Fire.

As Royal Surveyor, Christopher Wren was assigned to the rebuilding of many churches.  While he and his staff began construction on many churches in 1670 and 1671, the construction of only one church was begun in 1672 - St. Stephen Walbrook.  While speculation exists as to why, it is likely that because this was Christopher Wren’s own parish church, his personal attention was given to its design and construction.  He lived at No. 15 Walbrook at the time.  The church was generally completed by 1679, though the steeple was not finished until 1717. 

The church is considered by many a masterpiece, one of the 10 finest buildings in all of England and perhaps the only building in which Wren was able to fully showcase his talents and vision.  The church is rectangular in design, with a dome and attached tower.  The support structure of the dome and the interior design make it arguably Wren’s finest church interior.

In 1953, a vicar at St. Stephen Walbrook began a mission that would grow into an international organization called Samaritans. The church displays a telephone in a glass box, commemorating the 24-hour phone line always open to people in distress or at risk of suicide. Keeping up with the times, the organization now also offers support via email and text messaging.

Located at: 39 Walbrook, London EC4N 8BN

Nearest Tube: Bank

Saint Benet, Paul’s Wharf ~ the only original Christopher Wren church in London

07 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in Churches, City of London

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While a church has been on this site since 1111, the current church was built after the Great Fire of London in 1685 by Christopher Wren.  It survived the Second World War intact and remains the only unaltered church built by Wren in London. The church is built in a Dutch country style, is basically square, and retains the galleries.  In 1879 Queen Victoria granted the Welsh community the right to worship in Welsh.  Since then it has remained the ‘Welsh Church’ in London and was consecrated as the London Church of Welsh Episcopalians.  The church still holds Sunday services in Welsh (with English translation) and offers tours on Thursdays.

 

 

 

See their website for more details: http://www.stbenetwelshchurch.org.uk/pages/homeENG.html

Located at: White Lion Hill and Queen Victoria Street, London EC4V 4ER

Closest tube: Blackfriars.

 

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