St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate |
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Exterior from Bishopsgate
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 St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate
Location in Greater London
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| 51°31′0.15″N 0°4′53.96″W / 51.5167083°N 0.0816556°W | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England and Antiochian Orthodox Church |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholicism |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | London |
St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate is a historic Church of England church. It is located in the City of London, just outside where the old city walls used to be. This area is known as Bishopsgate Without. The church is also considered part of London's East End.
Next to the church, there is a large churchyard and a former school building. The church has special connections with two old London groups: the Worshipful Company of Coopers (barrel makers) and the Worshipful Company of Bowyers (bow makers).
Contents
Where is St Botolph's Church Located?
The church stands on the west side of a road called Bishopsgate. This road was once a Roman road known as Ermine Street. It is very close to Liverpool Street station. Both the church and the street get their name from the 'Bishop's Gate'. This was a gate in London's old defensive wall. The gate stood about 30 metres south of the church.
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In 1598, a writer named John Stow described the church. He said it was in a nice churchyard, right next to the city's defensive ditch. This ditch was a feature that made it harder to attack the city walls.
Why is it Called St Botolph?
This church is one of four medieval London churches named after Saint Botolph. He was a saint from the 7th century. Each of these churches was built near one of the city's gates. The other three were St Botolph's Aldgate, St Botolph's Aldersgate, and St Botolph's, Billingsgate. The Billingsgate church was destroyed in the Great Fire and never rebuilt.
By the late 1000s, Botolph was seen as the patron saint of borders, trade, and travel. People especially honored him before the story of St Christopher became popular among travelers.
It is thought that the church near Aldgate was the first in London to be named after Botolph. The other churches likely followed soon after.
A Brief History of the Church
The first official record of the church dates back to 1212. However, some believe that Christian worship might have happened on this spot even earlier, possibly in Roman times. This is not fully proven.
The church was lucky and survived the Great Fire of London in 1666. It was later rebuilt between 1724 and 1729.
Medieval Times and Survival
Around 1307, the Knights Templar were questioned here about corruption. In 1413, a female hermit was recorded living here. She received money from the Sheriff to support herself.
The church almost burned down in the Great Fire of London. Part of the sexton's (church caretaker's) house was pulled down to stop the fire from spreading. In 1708, the church was described as an "old church built of brick and stone." By then, the original Gothic church had been changed. It had new columns supporting the roof and galleries.
The Church You See Today
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In 1710, the people of the parish asked Parliament to rebuild the church. They wanted to move it to a new site, but nothing happened. By 1723, the church was in very bad shape. The parishioners asked again and got permission to rebuild. They set up a temporary building in the churchyard.
Construction began in 1725, and the new church was blessed in 1728. It was fully finished the next year. The architect was James Gold or Gould. During the building work, they found the foundations of the original Anglo-Saxon church.
To make the church look impressive from Bishopsgate, the architect put the tower at the east end. The ground floor of the tower, with its triangular top, became the chancel (the area around the altar). The east end and tower are made of stone. The rest of the church is brick with stone details.
Inside, the church has a main area (nave) and side sections (aisles). These are separated by columns. The nave has a rounded ceiling that looks like a barrel. The church was found to be too dark, so a large window was added at the west end. However, a big organ was placed in front of it in 1764, blocking much of the light. In 1820, a glass lantern was added to the center of the roof to bring in more light.
The church was given a special Grade II* listed building status on January 4, 1950. It has memorials to soldiers who died in the wars.
The church had minor damage from bombs in the Second World War. It was also damaged in the 1993 Bishopsgate bombing.
Famous People Connected to the Church
The baby son of the famous playwright Ben Jonson is buried in the churchyard. Many well-known people were baptized here. These include Edward Alleyn in 1566, and Emilia Lanier in 1569. Emilia Lanier is thought to be the first Englishwoman to become a professional poet. She also married Alfonso Lanier in the church in 1592. Mary Wollstonecraft, who wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, was baptized here in 1759.
At one time, the writer Stephen Gosson was the rector (the main priest) of the church.
The Church Hall and Surroundings
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Inside the churchyard, you'll find the church hall. This building used to be the meeting place for the Worshipful Company of Fan Makers. It is a classical-style building made of red brick and stone. It has special spaces (niches) with figures of charity children inside them.
These figures used to be painted by schoolchildren every year. Now, they have been cleaned and moved inside the hall to protect them from theft. Modern copies now stand in the niches on the outside of the building.
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Also in the churchyard is a small building that was once the entrance to an underground Victorian Turkish bath. It was designed by Harold Elphick and opened in 1895.
Images for kids
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Exterior from Bishopsgate
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View of the church from the southwest
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Interior of the church
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The font
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The Church Hall
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The entrance kiosk to the underground Victorian Turkish bath in the churchyard
