St Mary Woolnoth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary Woolnoth |
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| Saint Mary (Woolnoth) of the Nativity | |
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The view from the Bank end of Lombard Street (2017)
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| Location | London, EC3 |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Regular worship |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 1950 |
| Architect(s) | Nicholas Hawksmoor |
| Style | Baroque |
| Groundbreaking | 1716 |
| Completed | 1727 |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 3 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | City of London |
| Archdeaconry | London |
| Episcopal area | Two Cities |
| Diocese | London |
St Mary Woolnoth is a historic Church of England church in the heart of London. You can find it right where Lombard Street and King William Street meet, close to Bank junction. The church you see today was designed by a famous architect named Nicholas Hawksmoor. It was one of the special "Queen Anne Churches" built a long time ago.
This church is still very much in use today. People gather there for services, including a special service called Holy Communion every Tuesday. St Mary Woolnoth is located in an area of London known as the ward of Langbourn.
Contents
A Look Back: The History of St Mary Woolnoth
How Old Is This Church? Early Beginnings
When the church was being rebuilt by Hawksmoor, workers found clues from Roman times deep underground. Some people think this means the spot has been a place of worship for about 2,000 years! This idea comes from guessing that the Roman findings were religious. They were also found under what seemed to be an Anglo-Saxon wooden building.
The name "Woolnoth" was first written down in 1191 as Wilnotmaricherche. It's thought that the name comes from someone who helped the church, maybe Wulnoth de Walebrok. He lived in the area in the 1100s. Another idea is that it's named after Wulfnoth Cild, a nobleman from Sussex. He was even the grandfather of King Harold Godwinson. The church's full name is Saint Mary of the Nativity.
The building standing today is at least the third church on this spot. The first one, built by the Normans, lasted until 1445. Then, a new church was built, and a tall spire was added in 1485. In 1666, the church was badly damaged by the Great Fire of London. Sir Christopher Wren helped to fix it up. New bells were made in 1670 and 1672. However, the repaired church wasn't safe enough, so it had to be taken down in 1711.
Nicholas Hawksmoor's Unique Design
The church was rebuilt as part of a big project called the Commission for Building Fifty New Churches. Work started in 1716, and the new church opened on Easter Day in 1727. Nicholas Hawksmoor was the architect. He created one of his most special and original designs for St Mary Woolnoth.
Hawksmoor was lucky because he had a lot of open space to work with. The old church had been surrounded by shops and houses, like many other churches in the city. But these buildings were knocked down at the same time as the church. This meant Hawksmoor could really make the most of the clear front area. St Mary Woolnoth is the only church Hawksmoor designed in the City of London.
The church he built was a bold architectural statement. Its impressive front, in the English Baroque style, has two flat-topped towers. These towers are supported by columns of the Corinthian order, a style used throughout the church. The side facing Lombard Street has unique curved sections with slanted columns.
Inside, the church feels surprisingly large, even though it's not huge. Hawksmoor's design is typical for him, creating a "cube within a cube." This means a square area is surrounded by three rows of four columns. This whole section is then inside a wider square. A grand baldaquin (a canopy over the altar) dominates the interior. It was inspired by the famous one by Bernini in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
Saving the Church from Demolition
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the church went through big changes. It was almost torn down several times but was saved each time. In 1876, William Butterfield removed the church's upper seating areas (galleries) because he thought they were unsafe. He also made other important changes at that time.
Between 1897 and 1900, the City & South London Railway (C&SLR) built Bank Underground station right underneath the church. The railway company was allowed to demolish the church. But people were very upset, so the company changed its mind. They promised to only use the ground beneath the church. The underground burial area (crypt) was sold to the railway, and the bones were moved to Ilford for reburial.
To build the station, the church's walls and columns were supported by strong steel beams. The lift shafts and staircases for Bank station were then built directly under the church floor. During this time, the bells were also rehung with new parts. Amazingly, no cracks appeared in the plaster, and the building didn't sink. The company later said the church was even stronger than before!
St Mary Woolnoth Today
St Mary Woolnoth was given a special "Grade I" status on January 4, 1950. This means it's a very important historic building. In 1952, it became a "guild church."
Today, St Mary Woolnoth serves as the main parish church for a group of combined parishes. These include the parishes of St Edmund the King and Martyr, and St Mary Woolnoth Lombard Street with St Nicholas Acons, All Hallows Lombard Street, St Benet Gracechurch, St Leonard Eastcheap, St Dionis Backchurch and St Mary Woolchurch Haw. It's usually just called "St Edmund & St Mary Woolnoth," as these are the only two churches from that list that still exist. It is part of the Church of England's Diocese of London.
The church is currently used by the German-speaking Swiss community in London. It is also the official church in London for the government of British Columbia, Canada.
In 2013, the boundaries of London's wards changed. Even though the buildings around it moved to other wards, St Mary Woolnoth stayed in Langbourn ward. This was because of the church's strong connections to that area.
Famous People Connected to St Mary Woolnoth
Many interesting people have been linked to St Mary Woolnoth over the centuries:
- Sir Martin Bowes, a Lord Mayor and Mint Master, was married and buried here. His children and grandchildren were also baptized here.
- Thomas Kyd, a playwright from the time of Queen Elizabeth I, was baptized here. His father, Francis, was also a church leader.
- Josias Shute was the church's rector starting in 1611.
- Ralph Robinson was a Presbyterian minister here in the 1640s.
- William Owtram was also a rector here.
- Thomas Busby, a composer, was the organist here from 1798.
- John Newton, who worked against slavery and wrote hymns (like "Amazing Grace"), was the minister here from 1780 to 1807.
- William Wilberforce, another important person who fought against slavery, worshipped here.
- Edward Lloyd, who started Lloyd's of London, is remembered here.
- William Josiah Irons, a religious scholar, was the rector here from 1872.
- Sir William Phips was buried here on February 18, 1694/5.
- Anne (Marbury) Hutchinson, a well-known American colonial woman, married William Hutchinson here in 1612.
- Thomas Ritchie, born on March 23, 1809, who helped found Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, was baptized here.
See Also
