St Botolph without Aldersgate,, as its name suggests, was built just outside one of the main gates in the old Roman wall that encircled London. The wall and Aldersgate were demolished in the 1760s but the church is still there. Its origins are medieval, sometime before its first mention in the written record in 1291.
The church is dedicated to St Botolph also known as Botwulf, who was a 7th century Anglo Saxon Saint. He was revered as the patron saint of trade and travel which is why there are other churches to St Botolph which still exist at Bishopsgate and Aldgate. Travellers setting off on a journey could ask for a blessing at the church just outside the walls, so that God would look favourably on their venture.
The church survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 with relatively little damage but was demolished and rebuilt in 1791 by Nathaniel Wright. Its plain brick exterior masks one of the most beautiful interiors in London with wooden galleries and panelling.
The churchyard was combined with the parishes of St Leonard Foster Lane and Christchurch Newgate to create Postman’s Park in 1880. This park now contains memorials to heroic Londoners who died saving other’s lives.
There are two parish boundary markers for you to discover as shown in the photos. One is in Noble Street attached to the remains of London Wall. The other marking the boundary with St Sepulchre Newgate is near Smithfield market in Charterhouse Square
