St Anne and St Agnes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Anne & St Agnes Church |
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Exterior of St Anne & St Agnes Church
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| Location | London, EC2 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Anglican, Lutheran, originally Roman Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Architect(s) | Sir Christopher Wren |
| Style | Baroque |
| Years built | rebuilt 1680 |
St Anne and St Agnes is a historic church in the City of London, close to the Barbican. For many years, it was used by a Lutheran church group. Today, it's a special place for music and education.
Contents
Discovering St Anne & St Agnes Church
Early Beginnings of the Church
The first records of a church here date back to 1137. Back then, it was known by different names. People called it 'St Agnes near Alderychgate' or 'St Anne's near Aldredesgate'.
It seems there was some confusion about its name. In old records, it was sometimes called St Anne-in-the-Willows. Its unique double name, St Anne and St Agnes, likely came about in the 1400s. This double name is very rare for churches in London.
Fires and Rebuilding Efforts
In 1548, a big fire badly damaged the church. But it was rebuilt not long after. More work was done on the building in 1624.
However, a much bigger disaster struck in 1666. The Great Fire of London destroyed most of the church. Only its 14th-century tower partly survived the huge fire.
Sir Christopher Wren's Design
The church was rebuilt in 1680 by the famous architect Sir Christopher Wren. He designed many churches after the Great Fire. Some experts think Robert Hooke might have helped with the design too.
This small brick church has a very unusual shape for London. It's built like a Greek cross, which means all four arms are the same length. This design uses a vaulted square inside a larger square. Wren used a similar style for other churches like St Martin Ludgate.
From War Damage to New Life
The church was repaired many times in the 1700s and 1800s. But it was almost completely destroyed again during Second World War bombing. This happened during the London Blitz on December 29-30, 1940.
After the war, the church was rebuilt. Much of the money came from Lutheran churches around the world. It was rededicated in 1966 for Estonian and Latvian communities living in London. The inside of the church now has a mix of new parts and old pieces from other churches damaged in the war.
In 2013, the Lutheran church group moved out. Now, the building is called the VOCES8 Centre. It's home to the VOCES8 Foundation, which is a charity focused on music education. They have a famous singing group called Voces8.
Famous Visitors and Recognition
Many well-known people have been connected to St Anne and St Agnes. The famous poet John Milton was a parishioner here. So was John Bunyan, who wrote the classic book Pilgrim's Progress.
John Wesley, who started the Methodism movement, preached at the church twice in 1738. The church is also a Grade I listed building. This means it's a very important historic building, recognized on January 4, 1950.
Images for kids
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The Church of St Anne and St Agnes, Gresham Street, EC2, 1941 by Dennis Flanders
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See also
