The United Kingdom has a long history of being a predominantly Christian country. According to the National Churches Trust, the UK has more churches than pubs, accounting for up to 40,300 church buildings open to the public for worship services. This could be because these churches and cathedrals also serve as “community hubs” for the local community to gather. These buildings are used to provide areas for children’s nurseries, senior citizen activities centers, performing stage, and exhibition spaces. London is known for its tall skyscrapers designed by famous international starchitects. However, they also have the most beautiful and well-preserved historical Cathedral and Churches that are designed in various styles such as the Gothic and Georgian forms. This article will be introducing 20 Churches and Cathedrals to visit in London.
1. All Saints, Margaret Street
Location: 7 Margaret St, Fitzrovia, W1W 8JG
All Saints, Margaret Street is an Anglo-Catholic Church located in London. Their church was designed by Architect William Butterfield in a Gothic Revival style. The construction period of the church was between 1850 to 1859 and is currently protected as a Grade I infrastructure.
2. All Saints Cathedral, Camden Town (Greek Orthodox Cathedral Church of All Saints)
Location: Camden St, NW1 0JA
The All Saints Church in Church Street Edmonton was first recorded in the 12th century. In the 15th century, it went through multiple rebuildings and modifications. One of the alterations was in 1772 where its exterior was cladded in bricks and most of the tracery was replaced with wooden window frames. Today, the parish church of Edmonton receives a heritage designation as a Grade II* Architecture.
3. All Saints Church, Edmonton
Location: Church St, Edmonton, N9 9AT
The All Saints Church in Church Street Edmonton was first recorded in the 12th century. In the 15th century, it went through multiple rebuilding and modification. One of the alterations was in 1772 where its exterior was cladded in bricks and most of the tracery was replaced with wooden window frames. Today, the parish church of Edmonton receives a heritage designation as a Grade II* Architecture.
4. Christ Church, Hampstead
Location: 11 Hampstead Square, Hampstead, NW3 1AB
The Christ Church in Hampstead is a church under the Church of England. The church was designed by Architect Samuel Daukes in early English Gothic style between 1850 and 1852. Later in 1881 to 1882, Architect Ewan Christian added the north porch and aisle. The Church also offered primary school education in the area.
5. Southwark Cathedral
Location: London Bridge, SE1 9DA
The Southwark Cathedral (Also known as The Cathedral and Collegiate Church of St Saviour and St Mary Overie) is the Mother Church of the Anglican Diocese of Southwark built from 1106 to 1897. It has a long history of up to 1000 years and became a cathedral since the creation of the Diocese of Southwark in 1905. The Gothic and Gothic Revival styled Church building is listed as a Grade I building.
6. St Clement Danes
Location: Central Church of the Royal Air Force, Strand, WC2R 1DH
St Clement Danes is an Anglican Church located outside the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand, City of Westminster. It is the central church for the Royal Air Force. It was designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren in a Baroque style in 1682. The Church is said to be referenced in the children’s nursery rhyme “Oranges and Lemons” and their bells chimed to the tune.
7. St Dunstan-in-the-East
Location: St, Dunstan’s Hill, EC3R 5DD
St Dunstan-in-the-East was a Parish Church in the Church of England. It was designed and built by Architects Sir Christopher Wren and David Laing at different periods. The building was severely damaged during the 1666 Great Fire of London and was later destroyed in the Second World War. The current ruin of the church was converted into a public park and was designated as a Grade I listed building.
8. St George’s Cathedral, Southwark
Location: Cathedral House, Westminster Bridge Rd, South Bank, SE1 7HY
The St George’s Cathedral (Also known as The Metropolitan Cathedral Church of St George) is the Mother Church for the Roman Catholics Province of Southwark and the seat of the Archbishop of Southwark. The Gothic Revival Cathedral was built by Architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin who was remembered for his critical role in the Gothic Revival Style in Architecture.
9. St Luke’s Church, Kentish Town
Location: Oseney Crescent, Kentish Town, NW5 2AT
St Luke’s Kentish Town is a Church of England Parish Church hosting a Holy Trinity Brompton Church Plant. The Church was built between 1867 and 1869 and was listed as a Grade II* building under the English Heritage. This Victorian styled Church was designed by Basil Champney. Later, HMDW Architects was in charge of restoring the listed infrastructure.
10. St Margaret’s Church
Location: St Margaret St, Westminster, SW1P 3JX
The St Margaret’s Church (The Church of St Margaret, Westminster Abbey) was constructed in 1523 and was designed by John Loughborough Pearson. It was the Anglican Parish Church of the House of Commons until 1972. The architecture style of the church can be classified as Romanesque Architecture and Tudor Architecture. Together with the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey, the Church forms part of a single UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
11. St Mark’s Church, Battersea Rise
Location: Battersea Rise, SW11 1EJ
The St Mark’s Church is an Anglican Church built by Architect William White from 1872 to 1874. The Church design is said to be Victorian Gothic Styled and is a Grade II* Listed Building.
12. St Martin-in-the-Fields Church
Location: Trafalgar Square, Charing Cross, WC2N 4JJ
Located at the northeast corner of the Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, the St Martin-in-the-field English Anglican Church was built in the medieval period. The Neoclassical style church was built by Architect James Gibbs from 1721-1726. It was given a Grade I listed building status in 1958.
13. St Mary Magdalene, Richmond
Location: Church Walk, Richmond TW9 1SN
The Church of St Mary Magdalene is a parish church that was given a Grade II* Building status. The first chapel was built as early as 1220. The entire building went through reconstruction during 1501 and added new additions such as the Nave and aisle and replaced its windows throughout its history. The Church was renovated by Architects Arthur Blomfield who made Victorian modifications to the building and Frederick Bodley who oversaw the early 20th century changes.
14. St Marylebone Parish Church
Location: 17 Marylebone Rd, Marylebone, NW1 5LT
The St Marylebone Parish Church is an Anglican church built by Architect Thomas Hardwick from 1813 to 1817. The church survived through the Second World War and experienced a bomb landing in its churchyard which was later known as the Garden of Rest. It destroyed its windows and ceilings and iron railing from the playground. The church was closed for repairs until 1949. In 2013, the church held exhibitions showcasing contemporary British Painting by collaborating with Artist-led groups and British painters.
15. St Nicholas Church, Chiswick
Location: Church St, Chiswick, W4 2PH
The St Marylebone Parish Church is an Anglican church built by Architect Thomas Hardwick from 1813 to 1817. The church survived through the Second World War and experienced a bomb landing in its churchyard which was later known as the Garden of Rest. It destroyed its windows and ceilings and iron railing from the playground. The church was closed for repairs until 1949. In 2013, the church held exhibitions showcasing contemporary British Painting by collaborating with Artist-led groups and British painters.
16. St Pancras Old Church
Location: Pancras Rd, NW1 1UL
The St Pancras Old Church is dedicated to the Roman Martyr Saint Pancras. The Roman Catholic Church is believed to be one of the oldest places of Christian worship in the United Kingdom. The church underwent a major rebuild during the Victorian era. In 1954, the building became a Grade II* Listed building.
17. St Paul’s Cathedral
Location: St. Paul’s Churchyard, EC4M 8AD
The iconic St Paul’s Cathedral is located on the highest point of Ludgate Hill in the City of London. This Grade I listed Anglican Cathedral is devoted to Paul the Apostle back from its original church on the same site in AD 604. The English Baroque styled Cathedral was built by Sir Christopher Wren in 1697 after the Great Fire of London and it became one of the most recognized architecture in London today.
18. Temple Church
Location: Temple, EC4Y 7BB
The Temple Church is a Royal peculiar church that was built by the Knights Templar in 1185 as their English headquarters. In the twentieth century, a renovation led by architect Walter Godfrey discovered that previous parts of the 17th-century renovation done by Sir Christopher Wren have been preserved in the storage and they reassembled the parts in their original position. In 1950, the church became a Grade I listed building.
19. Westminster Abbey
Location: 20 Deans Yd, Westminster, SW1P 3PA
Formally known as the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, the Westminster Gothic Abbey Church was founded in AD 960. The Church is another well-known religious building in the United Kingdom where traditional events such as the coronation and burial sites for the English and the British Monarchs. It was declared a Grade I Listed building in 1958 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
20. Westminster Cathedral
Location: Victoria St, Westminster, SW1P 1LT
The Westminster Cathedral is also known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Not to be confused with Westminster Abbey, the Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. This Neo-Byzantine Style church was designed by architect John Francis Bentley between 1895-1903. Despite being constructed almost entirely with bricks with no steel reinforcements, the Cathedral is the largest Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. In 1987, the Westminster Cathedral became a grade I listed building.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Church,_Edmonton
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints,_Margaret_Street
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints_Cathedral,_Camden_Street
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_Church,_Hampstead
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_churches_in_London
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwark_Cathedral
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Clement_Danes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Dunstan-in-the-East
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_George%27s_Cathedral,_Southwark
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Luke%27s_Church,_Kentish_Town
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Margaret%27s,_Westminster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark%27s,_Battersea_Rise
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Martin-in-the-Fields
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mary_Magdalene,_Richmond
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Marylebone_Parish_Church
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nicholas_Church,_Chiswick
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Pancras_Old_Church
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Paul%27s_Cathedral
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Church
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Cathedral#Architecture
https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/news/holy-spirit-uk-has-more-churches-pubs
https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/sightseeing/london-attraction/historic/cathedrals-and-churches-in-london
