St Alphege London Wall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Alphege London Wall |
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| Location | London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Gothic Baroque |
St Alphege London Wall was a church in the City of London. It was built right next to the historic London Wall. People also called it St Alphege Cripplegate because it was very close to Cripplegate. Today, the area where the church once stood is a public green space called St Alphage Garden.
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The Story of St Alphege Church
The St Alphege area used two different church buildings over time. The community moved from its first church to a former priory church nearby. This happened after a big event called the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The First Church Building
The very first St Alphege church was built right next to the London Wall. The wall actually formed the church's northern side. The churchyard, which is like a graveyard, was north of the wall. We first hear about this church around 1108–1125. However, some say it was built even earlier, before 1068.
The church was closed down by a special law from Parliament in the late 1500s. After that, it was taken down. The London Wall itself was left standing. The land where the church used to be became a carpenter's yard. In 1837, this area was turned into a public garden. This garden is still there today. It has a preserved part of the London Wall on its northern edge. A road that used to run past the church site was later renamed St Alphege Gardens.
The old churchyard north of the London Wall was still open in 1677. But later, buildings were put on top of it. The last building on this spot used the London Wall as its southern border. It was destroyed by bombs during the Second World War. This bombing uncovered the ancient Roman city wall, which the medieval wall was built upon. A new building called Salters' Hall was opened in 1976. When it was built, the area north of the London Wall became a garden for the Hall.
The Priory Church Becomes a Parish Church
The second church building started as the Priory Church of a Benedictine nunnery. This was a place where nuns lived and worshipped. It was called St Mary-within-Cripplegate. This nunnery was probably founded before the year 1000. But by 1329, the community was not doing well.
The land then went to William Elsing. He started a hospital there called Elsing Spital in 1331. At first, it was a normal hospital. But in 1340, Augustinian canons, who are like priests, took it over. The hospital closed in 1536. This was part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, when many religious places were closed in England.
After the first St Alphege church closed, this Priory Church became the new Parish Church for the area. The rest of the hospital site was sold to Sir John Williams. He built a private house there, but it burned down in 1541. The property was sold again. In 1630, it was used to create Sion College, a place for learning.
The church building was repaired in 1624. The top part of its tall steeple was rebuilt in 1649. The church was damaged but not completely destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. More repairs were done in 1684 and 1701. In 1711, the church members asked for money to make the building bigger. They also asked Parliament for funds in 1718. But neither request worked out. By 1747, the steeple was in such bad shape that the bells could not be rung. Four of the six bells were sold.
Rebuilding the Church
In 1774, people realized the church was not safe to use. A group was formed to plan its rebuilding. This cost £1350. They kept the old tower but built a new church body. The new church opened on July 24, 1777.
The rebuilt church had two main entrances. One faced east towards Aldermanbury, and another faced north towards London Wall. A writer named George Godwin said they "both equally remarkable for want of taste in the arrangement, and of beauty in the effect." This means he thought they didn't look very good. The inside of the church was described as "merely a plain room with a flat ceiling." The pulpit, where the speaker stands, was unusually placed against the west wall. This meant the people listening faced away from the altar.
By 1900, the tower and entrance area were again in poor condition. The north entrance was rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style in 1913. This style looked like older Gothic churches.
The church was damaged during an air raid in the First World War. In 1917, the St Alphege area joined with the nearby St Mary Aldermanbury parish. The church was rebuilt in 1919. However, it was planned for demolition in the same year. The church bells were moved to St Peter’s Acton. The main part of the church, called the nave, was taken down in 1923. Only the tower and the entrance area were left. Until the Second World War, the tower was kept with an altar and chairs as a place for prayer.
The tower was badly burned in a fire in 1940. The City of London Corporation started to rebuild the bombed area in 1958. This was part of creating the new Barbican Estate complex. During this building work, the early 1900s north entrance and the top parts of the tower were removed.
In 2018 and 2019, the remaining parts of the church tower and the area around it were updated. This was part of a project to install a raised walkway. The tower became a main feature in a new public space called London Wall Place & St Alphage Gardens.
The church remains were officially listed as a Grade II listed building on January 4, 1950. This means they are important historical structures. What is left today is the ruin of a central tower. It is made of flint and rubble stones. It has arches on three sides, but the south wall is missing.
In 1954, the combined St Alphege parish joined with St Giles-without-Cripplegate.
Images for kids
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The site of the lost Elsing Spital Priory
