We attended Sunday's Choral Mattins at St. Paul's Cathedral. What an amazing Cathedral to visit,…read morebut I think most attendees were tourists (like me). We arrived early and were allowed to sit with the choir up front. What a great honor to sit with a great vantage point of the service. The choir is composed of children and adults, men and women and the voices are extraordinary. The service was beautiful and I couldn't help but think about the people who had attended over the past 300 years. The Cathedral was designed by the great Christopher Wren and is gorgeous inside with massive arched ceilings and ornate marble archways and statues. The choir seats are a dark aged wood with beautiful carving. Photography was not allowed inside so my only photos are of the outside. Tours during no the week are available and going up into the dome is supposed to be an extraordinary experience where whispers can be heard far away. After the service, the bells rang outside in an amazing display.

After booking reservations online weeks in advance, the hard part was waiting to see Christopher…read moreWren's masterpiece on the inside. Because the building does not open until 10am, the front doors are closed and guests are expected to queue up. Surprisingly, there are no signs to tell you where to queue up, so people are waiting in front of the doors until they open. Upon entering, my bag is inspected and you can pick up an audio tour device which has not only information about the cathedral, but has reflection and prayer passages where you can take a seat (there are plenty) and just be. At intervals, the pastor will ask everyone in the building to be silent as he prays for our world. After the prayer and blessing, the pastor makes himself available to anyone. Taking time to pray to God for us and our world was special. While the audio tour was good, talking to the red-sashed volunteers was special in that they had information that was not in the audio tour. For example, the wood carvers would leave a signature on the carving that would be unique like a hidden rocket ship with stars behind some carved vines. If you're a Harry Potter fan like me, you can ask a red-sashed volunteer to show you the Dean's Staircase, a stairway leading to Professor Trelawny's divination class that was used in the film. Unfortunately, you can't walk up the staircase, but you can take some amazing photos. Walking to the Stone Gallery and Golden Gallery requires climbing up 31 flights of stairs, so train well before you arrive. Not only does the Stone Gallery give you a closer look at the paintings on the Dome, but the wall offers a neat little trick, but it takes two people. If you speak into the wall, another person standing on the opposite side (180°) will be able to hear you. On a non-foggy day (good luck with that), you can walk around outside and be able to have stunning views of the city. There's so much to say, but I would rather you experience it for yourself.

Looking for a church yard with plenty of benches to take your lunch upon?…read moreOr in need of a quiet moment away from the cacophonous City? Great St Barts is cloaked in calm. This Anglican church, founded in 1123 and one of the oldest in London, has had numerous film scenes shot here: Four Weddings and a Funeral, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Shakespeare in Love and The Other Boleyn Girl among them. The Grade I listed building is also home to the Cloister Café which purportedly serves excellent coffee, fine wines and monastic beers. Even if the food isn't great, how many opportunities does one have to dine in a 15th Century church cloister? But what beckoned me in earlier this week was the Christmas Card sale which is on during the week from 10am - 4pm. The selection was eclectic and nicely priced. I wasn't prepared to make a decision just then but when I am I'll come back.

Hidden away across the road from the famous hospital that bears its name, St Bartholomew the Great…read moreis a fascinating and atmospheric church, a little enclave of mediaeval London. One of the few surviving monastic churches which once filled London, it contains the City's finest example of Norman Romanesque church architecture. The Priory and the adjacent hospital were founded in 1123 by Rahere, a courtier to Henry I, in thanksgiving for surviving a fever contracted on a pilgrimage to Rome. Rahere went on to become its first Prior, and died in 1143. Much of the Priory complex was destroyed at the Dissolution, including the nave, transepts and much of the cloister, but the Norman Chancel and crossing arches survived to become the parish church. The building has been much altered and pulled about since then: the 13th-Century Lady Chapel was in secular use until the 19th century. (At one point it was a printing works, with one Benjamin Franklin as an employee). Much of the church, together with part of the cloister, was restored in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Approached through an attractive Tudor gateway itself a rare survivor of both the Great Fire of 1666 and World War II the church has a rather jumbled external appearance. Attractive flint and stone walls, decorated with a chequerboard pattern, contrast with the 17th Century red-brick tower. The attractive raised garden to the left is the churchyard, on the site of the original nave. And on the right, overlooked by modern offices, is the former cloister. Once inside, the dark and gloomy interior makes an immediate impression heightened on my last visit by a fog of incense left from a Sunday service, with shafts of light falling from the clerestory. The eye is drawn towards the High Altar, enclosed by the stunning groin-vaulted ambulatory and lit from above by 14th century decorated gothic windows. To the left is Rahere's tomb, erected in the early 14th century, his effigy vividly painted. Turn around and you see more of the Norman church, including two huge crossing arches, though devoid of their original transepts. Besides Rahere's tomb, the church is full of delightful 16th and 17th century monuments, and what is claimed to be the oldest font in London. A rather newer addition is the sculpture 'Exquisite Pain' by Damien Hirst, depicting the martyrdom of St Bartholomew (supposedly flayed alive). Access to the church is free for services and for Private Prayer, but since early in 2007 visitors have been asked to pay a £4 entrance fee.

Southwark Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral Church of St. Saviour and St. Mary Overie, has a…read morefascinating history that dates back over a thousand years. Its origins can be traced to a monastery founded in AD 606 by Mellitus, the first Bishop of London. The original structure was a wooden building and was later rebuilt in stone around the 9th century. Over the centuries, the cathedral has undergone various renovations and additions, resulting in the magnificent structure we see today. The location of Southwark Cathedral is of great historical significance. It stands on the south bank of the River Thames, near the site of the ancient Roman bridge that connected the City of London with the southern part of the country Inside the cathedral, children can discover a rich collection of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts that span different periods and styles. The Cathedral has a lovely garden which is a haven at all times of year but especially in the summer. A quiet space to sit for a while. Whilst the lovely cafe serving delicious coffee and cakes is a nice way to escape the crowds of London bridge

I chanced upon this spot as I was going through Borough Market and I am so glad I did. So much…read morehistory and splendor at this cathedral. I spent some time meditating in the pews and had a wonderful visit overall. It's free entrance as well which is nice.

Beautiful and historic Catholic church in the City of London. See their website for the church's…read morelong history. There is a relic of Saint Etheldreda to the right of the altar. I attended the 9am Mass last Sunday with about three dozen others. It was a solemn, reverential experience. It is inspiring to find a quiet place to pray in a corner of London devoted to buying and selling. However, as a note to fellow Yanks, there was minimal music (just instrumental organ as a prelude before Mass) and Father did not offer the chalice to the assembly. I don't know if this is typical of English liturgy, but it matches my limited experience in England and Ireland.

"The Church is a perpetually defeated thing that always outlives her conquerors." --Hilaire Belloc…read more I woke up early and jet-lagged on a Sunday morning, and decided to walk to church, armed with nothing but a screenshot of a map taken while I still had hotel wifi. Even still, St. Etheldreda's Church was not easy to find. It lay hidden behind a small unattended gate that read, "Ely Place", tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac of residences and businesses. Eventually walking through the doors and down the entry corridor, I wasn't prepared for the incredible beauty and serenity of this 12th century church. It's difficulty to locate was almost a metaphor for it's entrance. Large wooden medieval doors opened to a long well-lit corridor that led up a few steps through another vestibule. From there, older looking doors opened to a darker space, illuminated predominately by the sunlight filtering through stained glass panels depicting the lives of saints, apostles, and Jesus Christ. The faint scent of old wood and stone gave a sense of how ancient this place was. Because I was late from getting a bit lost, Mass was already in progress. It was a beautiful and traditional service. I stayed a bit longer to sit in this secluded, mystical place to pray. On the way out, I met one of the choir members who invited me to stay for the 11AM Mass that is sung in Latin. I wish I could have but my hubs had many tours planned for us that day. I did stay to listen to them practice a bit and was in awe of their angelic voices. A historical note: Because of the Reformation, most Catholic churches did not survive and were either destroyed or taken over by the Church of England. St. Etheldreda's was converted for a while, but was reclaimed by the Catholic faith in 1874, making it one of the few in London, and definitely the oldest.

ABUSIVE, 80% BORING, AND NOT CARING ABOUT CHILDREN'S SAFETY:…read more THEY ARE FILTHY CROOKS. And the sermons delivered by their pastors (not their guests I have seen so far this year) at the Central London branch are SO boring!!! I have not heard such boring messages since I became a born again Christian and I think we have not since the world began. What is going on? They are SO pathetic!!! God sees. God agrees. Of course. On Sunday 23/11/2025 at Hillsong Church Central London at Dominion Theatre there was a serious incident. *A female church volunteer deliberately* endangered my precious sons Jeremiah and Ethan who are 10 and 8 years old by providing us with wrong information at the start of the service. As I raised concerns about this potentially dangerous misinformation, do you know what their response was? Three security staff and a Hillsong church female staff member attempted to terrorize and threaten me, and they vigorously defended the hypocrite female volunteer who deliberately gave me the wrong information endangering two young children, how evil! The female church staff member's behavior stemmed from jealousy (it was 100% jealousy getting her to attempt to terrorize and threaten me like that, the confidence she tried to exhibit after the church service was extremely fake, she wanted to give the impression that I am the one in the wrong and she has finally done the right thing mistreating me the way she did at the start of the church service, cock and bull story, her jealousy is monstrous) and honestly I don't care because I have other important *GOOD* things to do in this world. I passed kindergarten and I am very focused. After the church service, three of the security staff at Dominion Theatre continued their harassment. I was forcibly escorted out with Jeremiah and Ethan by two of the security staff (without having caused a scene during the church service, no) while my precious son Ty who is 16 had gone to the restroom. The two security staff refused to let me re-enter the hall to get my precious son Ty after forcibly escorting Jeremiah, Ethan and I out. Only one man who attended the church service intervened, asking the abusive two security staff to allow me back inside to get my third child, but they still denied me that. I very much thanked that man who intervened. I then spotted my son Ty, who, noticing my absence in the hall, was calling my phone to find out where I was; I had to shout his name for him to come to me. They wouldn't let me go back inside to get my own child? It highlights how fitting the term "FILTHY CROOKS" is for them. A third security staff mocked us, laughing at me, Jeremiah and Ethan. I contacted news outlets like SKY News to expose the way I was mistreated. Yesterday 30/11/2025, as we went to church my precious children and I for God, I was told by one of the abusive security staff from the previous Sunday that Hillsong Church Central London has refused that I continue to attend their church. Someone called Steve, a church representative I believe, spoke to me and confirmed this. They mentioned an email was sent to me about it. I told them I had not received that email which is true. THEIR JEALOUSY IS DISGUSTING AND MONSTROUS! And ugly. What they don't know is that the night before God, who is always on my side, revealed a secret to me and instructed me not to disclose it until after I attended church yesterday and witnessed their actions. God clearly stated: "NOT THIS TIME", in a very strong and powerful manner. I wonder what God meant. God spoke that against those at Hillsong who support my mistreatment, showing me, assuring me, that he is on my side. He is definitely infinity percent not with them when it comes to the way they treated me the previous Sunday and yesterday. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LORD! YES!!! Please FIRE and BAN the three abusive security staff, the abusive jealous female church staff and that female volunteer who deliberately gave me wrong information. Shut down their evil. For good. Now. THANK YOU. Patricia Wagner

It's always great to visit this church here in Bloomsbury, the community are friendly and you feel…read morelike you're home around your family!

This lovely church in Soho Square was once the home of…read moreCasanova's lover Mrs Cornelys & their daughter was conceived here when it was once one of the most fashionable addresses in London. Now it holds magnificent services. I went to the funeral of Pearl here, wife of John Bermiston, a publican in nearby Fitzrovia's Northumberland Arms

As a temporary resident of London (student abroad) who was looking for a church to go to Mass…read moreduring my period of stay, I am very happy to having found this church. It's ambiance is respectful but not overly so (in the sense that no one will seem to want to criticize you if you just so happen to drop your jacket/book during Mass). There were a variety of types of people during my time there, and everywhere I looked, I was greeted with a smile. The music was all very pleasant, especially due to the fantastic acoustics of the stone walled church! Overall, if I were to ever find myself in London again on a Sunday, I'll be making my way here.

The church itself has not much to offer, but I was lucky enough to have an chance to visit its…read morecrypt during the Illumini Festival last year. I already knew that the area beneath the vicinity of the church is a site of a massive graveyard, but I wasn't aware that there is a piles of lead coffins stuck in the basement of the church can be seen by the candle light. What's interesting is that the crypt is a place of burial of many of the most significant figures of Elizabethan and Shakespearean theatre, includinf Richard Burbage, the first actor to ever play Hamlet. The guided tour was lead by the Rev'd. Paul Turp, who surprisingly lives in Hoxton Squre (unusual for a priest to live in the party hub of the town, isn't it?) and loves the vibe of Shoreditch! During a 90-minute walk in the dark tunnels of the church crypt (mind the bones lying aroud here and there) you can hear interesting facts from the local history, grim urban legends and ghost stories, passionately presented by the vicar who clearly enjoy talking about the corpses and tombs. We were told that walks can be arranged with the priest, but you'd better check it up. But if you don't fancy spooky stuff, they organize exhibitions and concerts every now and then, just check their website for details.

When I set myself the task of reviewing the churches in the rhyme 'Oranges and Lemons' I wasn't…read moreexpecting to have problems with the closest Thing is St Leonards is not a tourist church, and is not generally left open. Though it has a banner outside advertising a drop in session each afternoon, I wandered round at the right time and could find no sign of anyone around. It seems the only time to actually get inside is during Sunday service. Not being a Christian I'm not sure it's appropriate for me to go sightseeing at such a time! So, I've not been inside In the rhyme St Leonards is the 'Bells of Shoreditch' ('When I am rich, said the bells of Shoreditch'), a line possibly referring to the long standing poverty of the area. Though one source I've read reckons the rhyme originally referred to Fleetditch and the bells were at St Brides. The church was founded in the 12 Century, but after a collapse (during a service what's more) in 1716, it was rebuilt in the 1730's, with a spire copying St Mary-le-Bow church in Cheapside. The church is quite grand in appearance from outside, though the tightly sealed doors and grated windows are just a little depressing The churchyard is rumoured to contain the remains of the town stocks, though again one source I have says they have been removed, and I didn't find them. I did find what appeared to be a rusted water pump. The church was close to the first two theatres (The Theatre, and The Curtain Theatre), and as such was the original actor's church. Richard Burbage, builder of the Curtain Theatre and the first person to play Hamlet, is buried there. It's also the resting place of Dr James Parkinson, who gave his name to Parkinson's Disease. It's not an official site, but for those who are interested a more in-depth history of the church can be read at http://www.ourpasthistory.com/England/st-leonards-shoreditch

A historically very significant church. The bells are the Bow bells featured in the nursery rhyme…read moreOranges and Lemons. They were the bells that called Dick Whittington back to London. During the 14th Century they were used to ring a curfew every night: probably the origin of the tradition that only those born within sound of the bells can claim to be a true Cockney. During the 2nd World War the BBC used the sound of the bells at the start of every broadcast to Europe. Unfortunately the church has also seen a history of destruction. There has been a church on the site since 1070. The church was destroyed by the Great Fire, and rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren between 1670 and 1682. The name comes from the bow arches in the surviving Norman crypt, which were echoed in the steeple. The church was destroyed again in 1941 during the blitz, leaving only the steeple, 2 outer walls and the crypt. Between 1956 and 1964 the church was rebuilt again. The bells were also destroyed and recast several times, but metal from the original set was used to cast new. Today the first sight of the church is the stunning steepled entrance which opens onto Cheapside. The crypt contains a café (sadly not open when I was there). The church itself is unusually square, and, with the alter and organ, actually feels wider than it's long. It has a modern feel with black and white floor tiles and some wonderful modern stained glass windows. The organ is particularly stunning. Information leaflets are available, for which you are asked to leave 40p each in a donation box. There's also a program of events, including art exhibitions and performances. Information on the website.

St Mary-Le-Bow,Cheapside, was immortalised in the nursury song Oranges and Lemons…read more To be born with the sound of Bow Bells is said to be the sign that you are a true Londoner or Cockney. The Bow bells in the Norman Crypt, for which the church owes its name, were once used to signal a curfew in the City of London. Before modern traffic noise, they could be heard as far away as Hackney Marshes. The bells are also credited with having persuaded Dick Whittington to turn back from Highgate and remain in London to become Lord Mayor (three times in the story but four times in reality). This church was rebuilt by Christopher Wren after the Great Fire of London and again after World War II bomb damage, and it was during this period that the distinctive peal of the Bow Bells was broadcast by the BBC to the enemy-occupied countries of Europe. For a Londoner to be able to call him or herself an 'authentic cockney', they must have been born within the sound of St Mary-Le-Bow Church in Cheapside. 'Cockney' or 'cock's egg' was a 14th Century term applied contemptuously by rural people to native Londoners who lived rather by their wits than their muscle. Today's natives of London, especially its East End use the term with pride - 'Cockney Pride'.

One of the few remaining mediaeval buildings in the city of London, St. Olave's church is a Church…read moreof England sanctuary and is also the final resting place of a certain Samuel Pepys (and his wife). With a rich history - it's origins date back as early as 1056 - this is a fascinating church. From Viking invaders to narrowly missing the Great Fire of London to Samuel Pepys' the parishioner and being damaged in the Blitz. A lot has happened to this small church but it's still here. The Reverend (who's name escapes me but he's a very nice man) enjoyed telling us all of this as an introduction to the building and to put in greater context the real reason we were all congregated there - a concert, not a service. A motet about the diaries of Samuel Pepys. The venue making greater sense now and indeed they complement each other. Great acoustics in this squared-ish church and the sound doesn't get lost as there isn't enough church for the sound to become lost in. This leads me to believe that regular church services and worship would also ring well in here but I can't account for that. With numerous statues and intrinsic sculpted work on the décor, as well as a large plaque featuring Mr Pepys high up on a wall where a balcony once sat - and, indeed, where the real Pepys regularly sat. There's also a crypt down some narrow, steep stairs at the back of the church which takes you to some centuries old bits of church and whatnot. Then there are more narrow, steep steps that lead further in to the crypt and the final resting place of Mr and Mrs Pepys. You can't see them, there's a wall in the way but they're there! Not to mention even more centuries old stuff. All in all, delightful and accessible being near Fenchurch St station and Tower Hill station. The power of Christ compels you! Ian

St Olave's Church, Hart Street, in the City of London is a small mediaeval church, where Samuel…read morePepys and his wife Elizabeth lie buried. It was saved from the Great Fire of London in 1666 by tearing down rows of houses between it and the fire. London was all wood remember. Pepys was was of the people who saved it. Then of course the Blitz in WWII destroyed most of it. The fire was so intense the bells melted but they scraped up the metal and took it back to the SAME foundry the bells were made and they were recast in the original moulds. It is suprising how many entries, in books written just after the war, say church destroyed in the blitz and yet there it still is. Heritage preserved. Charles Dickens was also very fond of the church. He nicknamed it the 'Churchyard of Saint Ghastly Grim' and wrote about it in The Uncommercial Traveller. He tells a wonderful tale about being an insomniac and at midnight, in the middle of a thunderstorm, decided to take a hackney carriage to look at the place. The gateway has skulls pierced by metal and he wanted to see them in lightening. He said the coach driver became extremely nervous and kept looking over his shoulder expecting to see a bat rather than himself. Apparently, Mary Ramsay, the woman who bought the plague to London, was buried here. Usually missed by the majority of tourists it is truely worth a visit. Other interesting stuff in the area too. Opening Times Monday - Friday 09:00 - 17:00 Nearest Underground (Tube) Station: Tower Hill Apparently, Mary Ramsay, the woman who bought the plague to London, was buried here. Here's Dickens on the place: One of my best beloved churchyards, I call the churchyard of Saint Ghastly Grim; touching what men in general call it, I have no information. It lies at the heart of the City, and the Blackwall Railway shrieks at it daily. It is a small small churchyard, with a ferocious, strong, spiked iron gate, like a jail. This gate is ornamented with skulls and cross-bones, larger than the life, wrought in stone; but it likewise came into the mind of Saint Ghastly Grim, that to stick iron spikes a-top of the stone skulls, as though they were impaled, would be a pleasant device. Therefore the skulls grin aloft horribly, thrust through and through with iron spears. Hence, there is attraction of repulsion for me in Saint Ghastly Grim, and, having often contemplated it in the daylight and the dark, I once felt drawn towards it in a thunderstorm at midnight. 'Why not?' I said, in self-excuse. 'I have been to see the Colosseum by the light of the moon; is it worse to go to see Saint Ghastly Grim by the light of the lightning?' I repaired to the Saint in a hackney cab, and found the skulls most effective, having the air of a public execution, and seeming, as the lightning flashed, to wink and grin with the pain of the spikes.