All Hallows-by-the-Tower Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids All Hallows-by-the-Tower
All Hallows-by-the-Tower in 2020
51°30′34″N 0°04′46″W / 51.5094°N 0.0794°W / 51.5094; -0.0794
Location	Byward Street London, EC3
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Churchmanship	Modern Catholic
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade I listed building
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of London

All Hallows-by-the-Tower is a very old Anglican church in London, England. It stands on Byward Street, right next to the famous Tower of London. Sometimes, people call it All Hallows Barking.

Some sources say it's the oldest church in the City of London, founded around 675 AD. However, recent studies have questioned this. The church managed to survive the Great Fire of London in 1666. But it was badly damaged during the Blitz in World War II. After a lot of rebuilding, it was opened again in 1957.

From 1922 to 1962, the vicar (a type of priest) was Tubby Clayton. The church is still connected to Toc H, a Christian group he started.

Discovering All Hallows' History
Exploring the Crypt Museum
- Special Ceremonies
Notable People Connected to All Hallows
Church Organs
Gallery
See also

Discovering All Hallows' History

The Anglo-Saxon archway inside All Hallows

The church's interior

The early history of All Hallows-by-the-Tower is a bit of a mystery. For a long time, it belonged to Barking Abbey, a rich nunnery (a place where nuns live) in Barking. This connection goes way back, as the church was known as "Berkyncherche" in the 1100s.

In 1940, after bombing damage during World War II, workers found an old archway. It was made from recycled Roman bricks and stones. This discovery suggested that a church might have been built here as early as the 600s. This would make it one of the very first stone churches in the area. However, some experts now think the arch could have been built later, even up to the 1000s.

Growth and Royal Connections

The church was made bigger and rebuilt many times between the 1000s and 1400s. You can still see parts from these different building periods today. Because it was so close to the Tower of London, it became linked to the royal family. King Edward IV even made one of its chapels a special royal prayer place.

Victims of executions at the Tower of London were sometimes buried temporarily at All Hallows. One famous person buried here was Thomas More, a well-known writer and statesman.

Surviving Disasters

In 1650, the church was badly damaged by an explosion. Barrels of gunpowder stored nearby blew up, destroying the church's west tower and many houses. The tower was rebuilt in 1658.

The church almost didn't survive the Great Fire of London in 1666. Luckily, Admiral William Penn, whose son founded Pennsylvania, saved it. He had his men blow up nearby buildings to create gaps, stopping the fire from spreading to the church. Samuel Pepys, a famous diarist, climbed the church's tower to watch the fire. He called it "the saddest sight of desolation."

Modern History

All Hallows was repaired in the late 1800s. But it was severely damaged by German bombs during the Blitz in World War II. It needed a lot of rebuilding and was reopened in 1957. Many parts of the old church survived the war and have been carefully restored.

The church still has its 1400s outer walls and the ancient Anglo-Saxon archway. Inside, you can find many old metal plaques called brasses. There are also three amazing wooden statues of saints from the 1400s and 1500s. A beautiful font cover, carved in 1682 by Grinling Gibbons, is also there. It's considered one of the best carvings in London. The large painting behind the main altar was created after the war by Brian Thomas.

In 1999, archaeologists dug up the church cemetery and found many important things.

Exploring the Crypt Museum

The church has a museum in its crypt (an underground room). Here, you can see parts of a Roman road found deep below the church in 1926-1927. The museum shows the history of the church and the City of London. It has Anglo-Saxon items and religious objects. You can also see the church's old records, which go back to the 1500s.

Famous events recorded in these registers include:

The baptism of William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania.
The marriage of John Quincy Adams, who later became the sixth president of the United States.
The burial of Archbishop William Laud.

The crypt also has chapels dedicated to St Francis (from the 1300s) and St Clare (from the early 1600s). There's also a columbarium, a place for ashes, created in 1933. The altar in the crypt is made of plain stone from a castle of King Richard I in the Holy Land.

All Hallows-by-the-Tower has been the special church for Toc H since 1922. It was named a Grade I listed building in 1950, meaning it's a very important historic building.

The church also has a set of bells called a chime. It was fixed and brought back to working order in the 1970s.

Special Ceremonies

Each June, the church hosts the Knollys Rose Ceremony. It starts at the church and ends at the Mansion House. There, a single rose is given to the Lord Mayor as a symbolic payment. The church also has an annual "beating the bounds" ceremony. This includes a boat trip to the middle of the River Thames to mark the church's southern boundary on the water.

Notable People Connected to All Hallows

Many interesting people have connections to All Hallows-by-the-Tower:

John Quincy Adams: He married Louisa Catherine Johnson here in 1797. He later became the sixth president of the United States.
Philip Clayton: Also known as 'Tubby', he was a vicar here and started Toc H.
Cecil Jackson-Cole: He founded charities like Help the Aged and Action Aid. He also helped start Oxfam and supported Toc H.
John Fisher: A bishop who was executed at the Tower in 1535 and buried here.
Judge Jeffreys: A famous judge who got married here in 1667.
William Laud: An Archbishop of Canterbury who was executed at the Tower in 1645 and buried here.
Thomas More: Executed at the Tower in 1535 for not agreeing with King Henry VIII. He was buried here.
William Penn: The founder of Pennsylvania, he was baptised here in 1644.
Albert Schweitzer: A famous musician and doctor who made organ recordings at All Hallows.

Church Organs

The church organ

The first records of an organ at All Hallows date back to 1521. This organ was likely lost during the English Civil War.

A new organ was put in by Thomas and Renatus Harris in 1675. Over the years, the organ was repaired and improved many times by different builders. After the church was destroyed in 1940, a completely new organ was installed in 1957. This new organ was built by Harrison and Harrison.