Sir Christopher Wren was primarily responsible for the sweeping introduction of neo-classical or English Renaissance church buildings into London after the Great Fire of 1666. In place of the great spire of St Paul’s there arose a stupendous dome; all over London, instead of the forest of medieval church towers that existed before the fire, an amazing variety of tiered steeples supported by arches and columns graced the skyline.
The Wren churches are unique to London. No city in the world—even Florence in Italy—has such a wealth of architectural treasures conceived by the genius of and constructed within the lifetime of one man. They are, moreover, the flowering of the Renaissance in England, originals, each different and unique in its own right. Yet each bears the marks of its maker and (for the most part) conforms to the neo-classical principles which Wren brought to perfection.
In all, Wren and his assistants were responsible for fifty-four new churches, fifty-one of them within Old London, plus St Paul’s Cathedral. Let us now look at what has happened to them, and which of them have been spared for us to enjoy today: In 1781 St Christopher-le-Stocks, Wren’s only namesake and one of the first built, was destroyed in the Gordon Riots. Fourteen were demolished in the course of London’s modern development prior to World War I. Three were totally destroyed in the blitz and one, St Mary Aldermanbury, was re-erected at Fulton, Missouri. Five remain only as towers, or ruins within public gardens. Fourteen which were damaged in the bombing have been restored and are once again in use.
They are:
- St Andrew, Holborn
- St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
- St Anne & St Agnes
- St Bride, Fleet St
- St Clement Danes, Strand
- St James, Garlickhythc
- St James, Piccadilly
- St Lawrence, Jewry
- St Mary Abchurch
- St Mary-le-Bow
- St Michael Paternoster Royal
- St Nicholas, Cole Abbey
- St Stephen, Walbrook
- St Vedast, Foster Lane
Ten received only minor damage or none at all. They are:
- St Benet’s Welsh Church
- St Martin, Ludgate
- St Clement, Eastcheap
- St Mary Aldermary
- St Magnus, London Bridge
- St Mary-at-Hill
- St Margaret Lothbury
- St Michael, Cornhill
- St Margaret Pattens
- St Peter, Comhill
In separate categories are St Paul’s Cathedral and St Sepulchre, Holborn. St Sepulchre might be considered a Wren church that received only slight damage, but there is some question as to whether Wren was actually involved in the reconstruction after the Great Fire. Also, much of the earlier structure remains. St Paul’s, on the other hand, is something more than a church building. Although the east end and north transept of St Paul’s received direct hits, the west end and dome of this, one of the world’s great Christian monuments and a symbol of the indomitable spirit of the people of London during the bombing, were miraculously preserved.