St Bride's Church |
||||||||||
|
There are places where history passes by with a step as light as gossamer, leaving no trace. St Bride's 'the cathedral of Fleet Street' is not one of them. This site spans two thousand years' development of an island people. Little of importance that has happened in England's story has not been echoed in St. Bride's. From the time when the Romans invaded, Celts, Romans, Angles, Saxons, Normans, so many peoples, made this place. Today in the exchange of news, it is parish pump to the world.
For seventeen years after a wartime bomb had left the church a smouldering shell, Fleet Street had only a makeshift in place of the church it had always called its own. But there was a dramatic
reward for this deprivation. For restoration meant excavation and this gave the archaeologists, led by Professor W.F. Grimes, the chance to explore. As a result of their efforts nearly a thousand years were added to St. Bride's known history.
The second century Roman pavement marks one of the earliest places of Christian worship in this country, and there has been a church here since the sixth century. The crypts, in which much of this history can be seen, are visited by people from all parts of the world.
In this place the Romans dug a ditch soon after they reached Londinium and it is now one of London's earliest known Roman remains. Here was a mysterious second century building, here was a Christian church fourteen centuries ago, here happened
the miracle of the transformation of print from mediaeval 'mistery' to a mind moulding mass communicator, here grew up England's theatre, here congregated the English men of letters, here was fought the battle for freedom of speech, here nothing human has been alien and all that is divine has been cherished.
Here, where many generations have left a distinctive mark, is an epitome of the story of man and more especially of his growth as a creature who communicates. The present church, the eighth on this site and a restoration of Sir Christopher Wren's building, was rededicated in 1957 in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.
|
Opening Times
|
|
(2006 times)
Opening and closing times vary, please telephone for detailed information.
|
|
Admission Charges
|
|
(2006 prices)
Free.
|
|
Directions
|
| Show map of St Bride's Church... |
|
Nearby Attractions
|
|
Dr Johnson's House
(< 1 Mile)*
This House can be described as a shrine to the English language, for it was here that Dr Samuel Johnson worked for many years to compile the first comprehensive English Dictionary which was published in 1755. |
|
St Paul's Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece, built in glowing Portland stone, crowned by the magnificent dome; a famous landmark on the skyline of the City of London. |
|
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
(1 Mile)*
Shakespeare's Globe Theatre has been recreated on the south bank of the River Thames in London. The theatre is only a short distance from the site of the original Globe Theatre built in 1599 here many of Shakespeare's plays were first produced. |
| more nearby attractions... |
|
Nearby Hotels
|
|
Nearby Self Catering
|
Copyright © 1999-2008 Excelsior Information Systems Limited.
All rights reserved.
Press Room Terms of Use Privacy Link to Us Self-Catering Advertising Index Site Map

