This is a list of cathedrals, churches and chapels in the City of London. The list focuses on the more permanent churches and buildings which identify themselves as places of Christian worship. The denominations appended are those by which they self-identify.
History Wren and Anglican churches Before the Great Fire of London in 1666, the City of London had around 100 churches in an area of only one square mile (2.6 km2). Of the 86 destroyed by the Fire, 51 were rebuilt along with St Paul's Cathedral.Porter, Roy (1994) London: A Social History, Cambridge: Harvard. pp.87–88 The majority have traditionally been regarded as the work of Sir Christopher Wren, but although their rebuilding was entrusted primarily to him, the role of his various associates, including Robert Hooke and Nicholas Hawksmoor especially, is currently being reassessed and given greater emphasis.Cooper, Michael (2003) A More Beautiful City: Robert Hooke and the Rebuilding of London after the Great Fire. Sutton Publishing Ltd. Hart, Vaughan, Nicholas Hawksmoor: Rebuilding Ancient Wonders. Yale University Press, 2002.
With regard to Anglican churches, as opposed to Catholic churches, nonconformist chapels or meeting houses, the designs of the Wren office provided a new standard for British church architecture ever since, as well as giving a distinctive face to the Anglican church in London."For my own part I view the work of Sir Christopher Wren as a beacon which never fails to inspire. And there is no finer monument of his genius than the character he gave to London," Sir Edwin Lutyens. From London City Churches Wren also designed a number of Anglican churches outside the City, including St James's, Piccadilly and St Clement Danes. After the Wren era, Hawksmoor was responsible for six of the great Anglican churches in the East End of London (for example Christ Church, Spitalfields), and other architects such as Hooke, James Gibbs and John James contributed significantly to Anglican church architecture in London.
Metropolitan area London's churches and chapels are extraordinarily numerous and diverse. Anglican and nonconformist churches and chapels are most numerous, but there are also many Catholic churches as well as places of worship for non-Christian religions.
Most of the Anglican churches lie within the Anglican dioceses of London to the north and Southwark to the south. For historical reasons, the Anglican churches in London north of the Thames but east of the River Lea fall within the Diocese of Chelmsford, and those in the London Boroughs of Bexley and Bromley fall within the Diocese of Rochester. A few Anglican churches in the Barnet area fall into the Diocese of St Albans, reflecting the historical association of Barnet with Hertfordshire. The Catholic dioceses that cover Greater London are, north of the Thames and west of the Lea, the Diocese of Westminster; south of the Thames the Archdiocese of Southwark; and north of the Thames and east of the Lea, the Diocese of Brentwood. There are still some two thousand Anglican churches alone, across the capital and if nonconformist and other denominations are included, they cover every age and style, in the design and evolution of which at least six hundred different architects have made contributions. As London expanded during the early 19th century, many new churches and chapels were built independently by the growing nonconformist urban population; to match the growth in nonconformist churches and chapels, the Anglican "Waterloo church" building programme saw numerous Anglican churches constructed across south London in the first half of the century.
Significance Although many churches and chapels were entirely or partly lost to 19th-century demolitions and to bombing in the Second World War, many historic, architecturally significant and religiously significant buildings remain, particularly in the City of London and the neighbouring City of Westminster. A number of the churches are mentioned in the nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons. Churches in this list belong to various denominations, as indicated.
List of churches The City of London is not a London borough but, while being a ceremonial county in its own right, is within Greater London. In 1666 there were 96 parishes within the bounds of the City. Today the following continue Christian witness in one form or another in the heart of London. A map can be found here: The area has 46 churches for just 9,400 inhabitants; the ratio of one church to every 204 people is the highest in England, but the statistic disguises the fact that the vast majority of attendees at City churches live outside the area.
Medieval parish churches in the City This map shows the medieval churches in the City of London.
Churches holding regular service
Church name LocationDedicationFounded Denomination Notes All Hallows-by-the-Tower or All Hallows Barking Tower HillAll SaintsC7th–C11th Anglican Rebuilt C15th but contains arched doorway dated to C7th–C11thAll Hallows-on-the-WallLondon WallAll SaintsC12thRebuilt 1767. Guild church St Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe BlackfriarsAndrewC12thRebuilt 1695, 1961 (after Blitz) St Andrew, Holborn HolbornAndrewC10thRebuilt C15th, c. 1680, 1961 (after Blitz). Weekday services serving workers St Bartholomew-the-Great West SmithfieldBartholomewC12thfounded as an Augustinian Priory. Rebuilt C19th. United with St Bart-the-Less St Bartholomew-the-Less St Bart's HospitalBartholomewC12thParish church C16th. Chapel of ease to St Bart-the-Great since 2015 St Benet, Paul's Wharf QueenhitheBenedict of NursiaC12thRebuilt 1683. Granted to Welsh-speaking Anglicans 1879St Botolph, AldersgateBotwulfBotwulf of ThorneyC13thFounded as Cluniac Priory. Rebuilt 1788–1791. Holds weekday Bible talks, run by St Helen's St Botolph, Aldgate AldgateBotwulf of ThorneyC11thRebuilt C16th, 1741–1744. Restored 1966 (after Blitz) St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate BishopsgateBotwulf of ThorneyC13thRebuilt 1724–1729. Weekday services serving workers St Bride, Fleet Street Fleet StreetBrigidC7th–10th?Rebuilt C15th, 1675, 1957 (after Blitz) St Dunstan-in-the-West Farringdon W'outDunstanC11thRebuilt 1831–1833. Also used by Rom. Orthodox. Tuesday services St Giles-without-Cripplegate BarbicanGilesC11thRebuilt 1394 St Helen, Bishopsgate BishopsgateHelenaC12thInitially part of a Benedictine nunnery. Conservative evangelical St James Garlickhythe Vintry WardJamesC12thRebuilt 1676–1683. Bishop of Fulham St Katharine Cree AldgateCatherine of Alexandria1280Rebuilt 1628–1630. St Lawrence Jewry GuildhallLawrenceC12thRebuilt 1670–1687. Guild church St Magnus-the-Martyr London BridgeMagnus ErlendssonC11thRebuilt 1671–1687. Bishop of Fulham St Margaret Lothbury BankMargaret the VirginC12thRebuilt 1686–1690. United with St Mary Woolnoth St Margaret Pattens MonumentMargaret the VirginC11thRebuilt 1687. Guild church St Martin within Ludgate Ludgate HillMartin of ToursC12thRebuilt 1677–1684. Guild church; Thursday lunchtime services St Mary Abchurch Cannon StreetMaryC12thRebuilt 1681–1686. Guild church St Mary Aldermary Mansion HouseMaryC11thRebuilt 1681. Guild church; may not hold regular services St Mary-at-Hill BillingsgateMaryC12thRebuilt 1676 St Mary-le-Bow CheapsideMaryC11thRebuilt 1671–1673. Weekday services St Mary Woolnoth BankMaryC12thRebuilt 1716–1727. United with St Margaret Lothbury St Michael, Cornhill CornhillMichaelC12thRebuilt 1672 St Nicholas Cole Abbey Mansion HouseNicholasC12thRebuilt 1672–1678. Damaged 1941, restored 1962. Services restarted 2016 St Olave Hart Street Tower WardOlaf II of NorwayC13thRebuilt c. 1450. Restored 1954. St Paul's Cathedral St Paul'sPaulC7thRebuilt 962, 1087–1240 (Old St Paul's), 1669–1697 St Sepulchre-without-Newgate HolbornHoly SepulchreSaxonNational Musicians' Church. Rebuilt C15th, 1670. Recent HTB church plant St Stephen Walbrook Mansion HouseStephenMedievalMoved to current site 1439, rebuilt 1672–1679. Thursday services St Vedast-alias-Foster St Paul'sVedastC13thRestored 1695–1701, 1962 Temple Church Inner TempleC12thOriginally Templar; owned by Inner Temple and Middle Temple. Round church St Mary Moorfields MoorfieldsMary1820 Roman Catholic Pro-cathedral of London 1820–1869. Rebuilt 1903St Botolph's Orthodox ChurchBishopsgateBotwulf of ThorneyAntioch OrthodoxMeets in St Botolph-without-BishopsgateLondon Romanian Orthodox Ch. Fleet StreetGeorge1833 Romanian Orthodox Meets in St Dunstan-in-the-West St Thomas J. S. O. Church Mansion HouseThomas1989 Jacobite Syr Orth Meets in St Mary AldermarySt GregoriosBlackfriarsGeevarghese Gregorios of ParumalaMalankara Orthodox SyrianMeets in St Andrew-by-the-WardrobeSt Anne's Lutheran ChurchBillingsgateAnne?Lutheran ChurchMeets in St Mary-at-Hill London City Presbyt. Church Aldersgate1949 Free Church of Scotland Meets in St Botolph without Aldersgate (see below)Jewin Welsh Presbyterian ChapelBarbican1774Welsh PresbyterianNew buildings 1785, 1823, 1879. Rebuilt 1960 City Temple Holborn Viaduct1640 URC First building on present site 1874. Rebuilt 1958 (after Blitz) Dutch Church, Austin Friars Broad Street1550 Protestant Church in the Netherlands Building C13th Augustinian priory. Stranger church. Rebuilt 1950–1954 (after Blitz)London Intl Church of ChristWestminsterIntl Church of ChristCentral congregation meets in City Temple, Holborn ViaductCity Gates Church London Wall1985IndependentWas in Ichthus. Meets in All Hallows-on-the-Wall (see below)Christ Church LondonBlackfriarsJesusIndependentMeets in the Mermaid Theatre
Churches demolished or no longer holding regular service See also: List of demolished churches in the City of London, List of churches destroyed in the Great Fire of London and not rebuilt