St Edmund, King and Martyr
| St Edmund King and Martyr | |
|
Saint Edmund the King and Martyr | |
|---|---|
|
London, Middlesex | |
 Photo of the church today | |
| Church of England | |
| Diocese of London | |
| Location | |
| Location: | 51°30’45"N, 0°5’11"W |
| Address: | Lombard Street |
| History | |
| Baroque | |
| Information | |
St Edmund, King and Martyr, is a Church of England church in Lombard Street, in the City of London, dedicated to St Edmund the Martyr.[1]
Once a parish church, it no longer is used for regular worship. Instead, since 2001 it houses the London Centre for Spirituality, now (2017) renamed the London Centre for Spiritual Direction, but is still a consecrated church.
The church is designated a Grade I listed building.[2] It stands in the ward of Langbourn.
History
In 1292, the church is first recorded as 'Saint Edmund towards Garcherche',[3] and it reappears in 1348 as 'Saint Edmund in Lombardestrete'. John Stow, in his Survey of London 1598, revised during 1603, refers to it also as St Edmund Grass Church.[4]
The mediæval church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London of 1666.[5] After the fire the parish was united with that of St Nicholas Acons, which was also destroyed and not rebuilt. The present church was constructed to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren in 1670–1679,[6] with a tower ornamented at the angles by flaming urns in allusion to the Great Fire.[7] George Godwin described the tower as "more Chinese than Italian",[8] while James Peller Malcolm called it "rather handsome, but of that species of architecture which is difficult to describe so as to be understood". The orientation of the church is unusual, with the communion table towards the north, instead of east.[9]
In September 1868 a riot occurred outside the church, as a consequence of one of a series of Friday morning sermons given by the Rev. Joseph Leycester Lyne, known as "Father Ignatius", in which he had spoken disparagingly of the traders of Lombard Street.[10]
The church was restored in 1864 and 1880. It was damaged by bombing in 1917.[11]
Gallery
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Historic engraving -
Now a Centre for Spirituality -
Interior
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about St Edmund, King and Martyr) |
References
- ↑ "The London Encyclopaedia" Hibbert,C;Weinreb,D;Keay,J: London, Pan Macmillan, 1983 (rev 1993,2008) ISBN 978-1-4050-4924-5
- ↑ National Heritage List 1064631: Church of St Edmund, King and Martyr
- ↑ London Guide
- ↑ "In and around Lombard Street". City of London Essays. http://www.londonessays.co.uk/page4.html. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
- ↑ "The City Churches" Tabor, M. p74:London; The Swarthmore Press Ltd; 1917
- ↑ "The Old Churches of London" Cobb,G: London, Batsford, 1942
- ↑ "London:the City Churches" Pevsner,N/Bradley,S New Haven, Yale, 1998 ISBN 0-300-09655-0
- ↑ Godwin, George ; Britton John 'The Churches of London: A History and Description of the Ecclesiastical Edifices of the Metropolis' (C. Tilt, 1839) page 345
- ↑ "The Churches of the City of London" Herbert Reynolds 2008 ISBN 1-4097-1376-8
- ↑ The Times (London, England), Saturday, 19 September 1868; pg. 9; Issue 26234
- ↑ "A biographical dictionary of British architects, 1600–1840" Yale 2008 ISBN 0-300-12508-9