Sir Christopher Wren Sir Christopher Wren PRS FRS (; – ) was one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history, as well as an anatomist, astronomer, geometer, and mathematician-physicist. He was accorded responsibility for rebuilding 52 churche ...

was 33 years old and near the beginning of his career as an architect when the

Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past th ...

in 1666 destroyed many of the city's public buildings, including 88 of its parish churches.

Wren Wrens are a family of brown passerine birds in the predominantly New World family Troglodytidae. The family includes 88 species divided into 19 genera. Only the Eurasian wren occurs in the Old World, where, in Anglophone regions, it is commonl ...

's office was commissioned to build 51 replacement churches and

St Paul's Cathedral St Paul's Cathedral is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in London and is the seat of the Bishop of London. The cathedral serves as the mother church of the Diocese of London. It is on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London ...

. Many of these buildings survive to this day; others have been substantially altered or rebuilt. Some others were completely or partially destroyed during the German Blitz of 1940–41; yet others were demolished for different reasons.

Churches in the City of London

Many of Wren's churches were demolished as the population of the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

declined in the 19th century and more were destroyed or damaged during the Blitz.

Survived in original form

Substantially altered before the Blitz

Substantially rebuilt after the Blitz

The Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

in 1940–1941 damaged nearly all the churches in the City of London and many were nearly destroyed leaving just the outer walls and tower. However most of them were rebuilt to Wren's original design.

Tower remaining

These churches were destroyed in the Blitz or demolished in the 19th century. Only their towers remained with perhaps a short section of the outer wall. They are no longer working churches.

Stones re-used

Demolished due to the Union of Benefices Act (chronological order)

The population of the City of London declined sharply in the 19th century, and the

Union of Benefices Act 1860 The Union of Benefices Act was legislation which prevented the need for other Acts if following its prescribed three-stage scheme. It enabled reduction of the number of parish churches and vicars/rectors in London's "Metropolis", as defined by a ...

reduced the number of parish churches. The surplus churches were demolished.

Demolished for other reasons (chronological order)

Destroyed in the Blitz

These churches were destroyed in

the Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

and their ruins demolished afterwards.

Interior refurbished by Christopher Wren

Churches built outside the City of London

These churches were outside the area of the

Bibliography

* * Godwin, George (1839), ''Churches of London'', Vols.1–2, C. Tilt * *

External links

Friends of the City ChurchesCity of London Churches
by Mark McManus
Churches in the City
from the Diocese of London
Where the existing Wren churches are in London
from Google maps
View interiors of Wren Churches in 360 degrees
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wren Churches In London

Wren churches Sir Christopher Wren was 33 years old and near the beginning of his career as an architect when the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed many of the city's public buildings, including 88 of its parish churches. Wren's office was commissioned to ...

* Lists of buildings and structures by architect London religion-related lists