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 […]
Lost London Churches Blog
St Martin Pomeroy
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, […]
St Mary Woolchurch Haw
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
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 […]
All Hallows Bread Street
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 […]
St Nicholas & St Olave
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 […]
Errors in Hollar’s “Before & After the Great Fire”
Anyone interested in the lost churches of the City of London will struggle to find images of the churches burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666 and never rebuilt. After the fire, Sir Christopher Wren rebuilt or repaired some 50 churches of which 26 have since been demolished. But we know what those looked […]
St Mary Magdalene Old Fish Street
St Mary Magdalene Old Fish Street was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and rebuilt by Wren in 1687 when the parish was combined with that of St Gregory by St Pauls. Then in 1886 disaster struck as a fire in a nearby warehouse broke out and severely damaged the church. It was decided […]
St Mary Colechurch
A memorial to the reburial of human remains from the churchyards of St Mary Colechurch and St Mildred Poultry in. the City of London Cemetery in Manor Park. The inscription is so worn that I had to enhance it in the photo by typing over it – but if you visit the site you will […]
St Mary Magdalene Milk Street
Parish boundary markers for St Mary Magdalene Milk Street and All Hallows Bread Street in Cheapside near St Mary le Bow