St Mary Abchurch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Mary Abchurch |
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The inside of St Mary Abchurch
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| Location | London, EC3 |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholicism |
| Churchmanship | Traditional Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed building |
| Architect(s) | Sir Christopher Wren |
| Style | Baroque |
| Years built | 1681–1687 (rebuilt after the Great Fire of London, 1666) |
St Mary Abchurch is a historic Church of England building. It is located near Cannon Street in the City of London. This church is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. People first mentioned it way back in 1198 or 1199. The original church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The building you see today replaced it.
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History of St Mary Abchurch
The First Church (Medieval Times)
This church has been around since the 1100s. It is named after the Virgin Mary. The extra name "Abchurch" probably came from an early priest who worked there. Some people used to think it meant "Upchurch" because it was on higher ground. But old records don't support that idea.
For a long time, the church was connected to the convent of St Mary Overy in Southwark. This changed around 1455. Then, it became linked to a college called Corpus Christi. After a big change in the church called the Reformation, Queen Elizabeth I gave the church to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. This college has chosen the church's priests ever since.
In 1611, the church was "restored and beautified" by the local people. But sadly, it was destroyed in the terrible Great Fire of London in 1666.
Rebuilding After the Great Fire
The church was rebuilt by a famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren. The work happened between 1681 and 1686. Another nearby church, St Laurence Pontney, was also destroyed in the Great Fire. It was not rebuilt. So, its local area joined with St Mary Abchurch.
Damage and Repairs During Wartime
In September 1940, a bomb hit the church. This happened during the London Blitz, a time when London was bombed a lot in World War II. The dome of the church was badly damaged. W. Godfrey Allen helped repair the church from 1948 to 1953.
E. W. Tristan restored the dome. After he passed away in 1952, Walter Hoyle finished the work. Many stories say the beautiful altar-piece was shattered. But it was actually moved to a safe place by the church leaders during the war. The church was officially named a Grade I listed building on January 4, 1950. This means it's a very important historic building.
Looking at the Outside of the Church
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The outside of the church is made of red bricks. It has stone details. There is a tall tower with four levels, reaching 51 feet high. It has a spire made of lead. The church was first planned to be much bigger. It was meant to look like St. Stephen Walbrook. But for reasons we don't know, it was rebuilt smaller. This work was supervised by Robert Hooke.
Inside St Mary Abchurch
The ceiling of the church is a curved dome. It has four oval openings that look like circular windows from the outside. The dome rests on plain brick walls. It spans more than forty feet across without any outside supports. The beautiful paintings on the dome were added in 1708. This was when the whole church was being repaired and made more beautiful. The artist was probably William Snow. He lived near the church. Church records show payments to a "Mr Snow" for his work.
The paintings are done in oils directly on the plaster. They have a painted Trompe-l'œil (which means "trick the eye") border. Above this border, you can see angels and cherubs surrounding a golden light. In the middle of the light is the name of God in Hebrew. Below the border are eight female figures. They are painted in one color to look like sculptures. What they mean has been understood in different ways. The painting was restored several times before it was completely rebuilt and repainted after World War II.
The pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) was made by William Grey. The door frames, a font cover, rails, and the Royal Arms were made by William Emmett. The church's amazing altar-piece was created by Grinling Gibbons. Gibbons' original bill for this "Olter Pees" was found in 1946. A golden "Pelican in her piety" design appears on the altar-piece. It also appears on the original weather vane. This weather vane was made by Robert Bird. It was moved from the spire to above the north door for safety. You can also see the original tall box pews on three sides of the church.
The church did not have an organ until 1822. People donated money to build one. This organ was badly damaged in World War II. A new organ was made in the 1950s by N. P. Mander. It used the old organ casing from 1717 that once belonged to All Hallows, Bread Street.
The remains of Peter Perchard, a former Lord Mayor of London, and his family are buried at St Mary Abchurch.
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