Lost London Churches Blog

All that is left of the church of All Hallows Staining is the tower at the corner of Dunster Court and Mark Lane. The tower was built in 1320AD and was part of the second church on this site. It was originally founded by the Saxons before the Norman conquest. The diagram to the right […]

St Benet Sherehog was one of. the City churches that was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and never rebuilt. It was originally dedicated to St Osyth. A corrupted form of this name can still be seen in “Size Lane” – a very short alley behind No1 Poultry. Here you will find a blue […]

At the corner of Queen Street and Upper Thames Street stood the church of St Martin Vintry. It was one of the many churches destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666 and never rebuilt. The parish was combined with that of St Michael Paternoster Royal next door. The first mention of the church […]

St Martin Orgar in Martin Lane off Canon Street is famous from the children’s nursery rhyme “Oranges & Lemons” in the couplet “You owe me five farthings Say the bells of St Martin” Although, to be truthful, it could in fact refer to any one of the five churches dedicated to St Martins (of which […]

The church of St Martin Pomeroy, sometimes known as St Martin Ironmonger Lane, is of medieval origin although the date of its founding is uncertain. The name “Pomeroy” could be a reference to the apple trees (French: Pomme) that grew nearby or a link to the Pomarys family. It was sited halfway down Ironmonger Lane, […]

On the corner of Walbrook, opposite the Bank of England, you will find a blue plaque commemorating the church of St Mary Woolchurch Haw. This church is first mentioned in 1260 as “St Mary of Woollechurche-hawe”. The names comes from a beam in the churchyard that was used for weighting wool according the historian John […]

The lost church of St Christopher le Stocks stood on the current site of the Bank of England. The first written record of the church is from 1282. The name comes from the “Stocks Market” – a market for meat and vegetables which was held at the site of what is now Mansion House where […]

As the name suggests, the church of All Hallows Bread Street stood on the corner of Bread Street and Watling Street. This was next to the bustling medieval market of Cheapside and Bread Street was where the bakers had their shops. Watling Street was major Roman Road that ran south east to Dover on the […]

A walk in the City of 6 km to find the churches dedicated to St Nicholas and St Olave – of which only 2 of the original 7 remain. St Nicholas of Myna (now modern day Demne in Turkey) was the patron saint of sailors and merchants. His habit of giving unexpected gifts made him […]