St George's, Bloomsbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St George's, Bloomsbury |
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| Parish Church of Saint George in Bloomsbury | |
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| Location | Bloomsbury Way, Bloomsbury, London WC1A 2SA |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 1730 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Architect(s) | Nicholas Hawksmoor |
| Style | Classical |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | London |
St George's, Bloomsbury is a beautiful old church in Bloomsbury, London. It was designed by a famous architect named Nicholas Hawksmoor. The church opened its doors in 1730. Today, you can even find the Museum of Comedy in its basement!
Contents
The Church's Story
In the late 1600s and early 1700s, the Bloomsbury area of London grew very quickly. Because of this, a special group called the Commissioners for the Fifty New Churches decided that Bloomsbury needed its own church. They chose Nicholas Hawksmoor to design and build it. He was a student and helper of another famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren.
Hawksmoor worked on St George's between 1716 and 1731. This was the sixth and last church he designed in London. The church was officially opened on January 28, 1730. Building it cost about £31,000, which was a huge amount of money back then!
Many interesting events and people are connected to St George's.
- The famous writer Anthony Trollope was baptised here in 1824.
- Richard Meux Benson, who started the first Anglican religious group for men, was also baptised at the church.
- A special service for Emily Davison took place here in 1913. She was a suffragette who worked for women's right to vote.
- In 1937, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia attended a service for those who died in the Abyssinian War.
The church building had a big repair project until 2006. This work was led by the World Monuments Fund. During this time, the church was closed to visitors. It fully reopened in October 2006. Now, there's a new exhibit in the basement about the church, Hawksmoor, and the Bloomsbury area.
Church Design and Features
The land for the church was bought for £1,000. This was a lot of money for a small, narrow piece of land. Even though church rules usually said churches should face east and west, this one had to be built facing north and south. This was because of the shape of the land.
Nicholas Hawksmoor was the main architect for St George's. He designed six of the 12 new churches built at that time. His plans for St George's were chosen after other ideas were not approved.
The church's tower looks like a famous ancient tomb called the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. On top of the tower, there is a statue of King George I dressed like a Roman. Statues of lions and unicorns fighting on the tower show the end of a past rebellion. The front entrance of the church looks like an ancient Roman temple.
The church tower appears in a famous picture called "Gin Lane" by William Hogarth. It is also in the children's book Gaspard's Foxtrot by James Mayhew. The writer Charles Dickens used St George's as a setting in his book Sketches by Boz.
A funny poem by Horace Walpole describes the statue of King George I:
When Henry VIII left the Pope in the lurch,
The Protestants made him the head of the church,
But George's good subjects, the Bloomsbury people
Instead of the church, made him head of the steeple.
St George's Church is a very important historical building. It was given a special "Grade I listed building" status on October 24, 1951. This means it is protected because of its history and architecture.
Visiting St George's
The church holds services on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, and on Sunday mornings. You can usually visit the church every day from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
St George's also offers workshops and talks for schools, families, and adults. It hosts many community events too, like flower festivals, dance classes, and choir groups.
- Location: St George's Bloomsbury is on Bloomsbury Way. It is right next to the Bloomsbury Thistle Hotel.
A hymn sung on St George's Day was written by Ursula Roberts. She was the wife of a past church leader. It begins:
A maid in fetters wailing
Her sore and sorry plight
A foul and slimy dragon
A brave and glorious knight!
(chorus) Let lusty voices sing!
"St George for Merry England"
Triumphant echoes ring.
Museum of Comedy
The church's basement, called the crypt, was used as an art gallery in the 1990s.
Since April 2014, it has been home to the Museum of Comedy. This museum explores the history of British comedy. It has photos, posters, props, clothes, scripts, films, and videos from famous British comedians and shows. There is also a performance area with 100 seats where shows can take place.
Images for kids
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Spiral staircase inside the church
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Rear of the church
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Plaque to Paul Mellon, an "American philanthropist and galloping anglophile", in the church
