LONDON on the Ground

A small part of the City of London once gave immunity to criminals, entirely outside the control of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen. In medieval times churches could provide 40 days of sanctuary, while monastic precincts came to offer wrong-doers unlimited shelter from the law. St Martin’s Le Grand, just inside the walls of the City of London near Aldersgate, was a notorious sanctuary. Walks available for booking For a schedule of forthcoming London On The Ground guided walks an

The gardens of one of London’s most famous historic buildings offer unexpected delights (but go on a sunny day). Westminster Abbey’s appeal extends beyond the main attraction of the ancient church itself. There are also some wonderfully secluded and historic gardens, which combine beautiful plants and trees with unfamiliar views of the Abbey and the nearby Palace of Westminster. Westminster Abbey – strictly the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster – was originally

The Partners’ work included Eltham Palace and post-war restoration of London churches, St Paul’s and Westminster Abbey. John Seely and Paul Paget, Partners in life as well as in business, produced architecture that combined old and new with sensitivity and flair in the middle decades of the 20 th century. They met in around 1920 at Cambridge University, where Seely read Architecture and Paget read English (but he never graduated), and became great friends. On 7 March 1926

The Wren church near St Paul’s has many interesting features and a hidden courtyard of surprises. First, let me explain the unusual name of this church. Vedast was a sixth century bishop of Arras, in the border region between France and Flanders. Known as Vaast in Flemish, his greatest claim to fame is probably his conversion to Christianity of the Frankish king, Clovis. St Vedast was venerated by Flemish merchants who came to England in the 12 th century, when his name w

Which are the six London churches mentioned in the nursery rhyme and what is its message? Oranges and Lemons makes references to the...

The Parliament architect honed his Gothic Revival design skills on four Islington churches. Architect Sir Charles Barry (1795-1860) is...

Head and abdominal surgery and amputations took place without anaesthetics or antiseptics. The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb...

Its 900 years feature Henry V, Dickens, Livery Companies - and what a ceiling! The foundation stone of today's church of St George the...

A drawing of Clerkenwell in 1560, two years into the reign of Elizabeth I, shows some features still visible today, sort of. Published in...

One of Britain's best examples of Victorian Gothic, the church is a rich celebration of colours and geometric shapes. For a full schedule...

Bart's Hospital and the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great were both founded in 1123. This post celebrates the 900th anniversary...

A quiet Islington side street tells of urbanisation, social history, post war reconstruction - and two walls. Britannia Row is a quiet...

12th century Temple Church is one of the most historic and architecturally significant churches in the City of London The church was...

A City building pays its respects to Christopher Wren and a London plane tree. The City of London contains some of the most expensive...

The story of St Paul's Cathedral's relationship with fire and how Sir Christopher Wren caused it to to rise like the Phoenix from the ashes

To mark the reopening of the City of London, a bell ringing festival was held on Saturday 31 July 2021 at 20 churches, 18 in the City and...

The once prominent church of St Magnus the Martyr and the Monument to the Great Fire of London inspired me to become a City of London Guie