St. Brides

Sir Christopher Wren
1670-84





Seven previous churches occupied this spot. The sixth church on the site was destroyed by the Great Fire of 1666; the seventh, since rebuilt after its devastation in World War II, was one of the first post-fire churches ready for worship and is one of Wren's grander edifices.
Today, however, this historic church is crammed among taller buildings and can barely be seen from most angles.
 

Nave/Side entrance
 

The tower and main entrance under the tower

The steeple is Wren's tallest (226 feet; 68 meters high) and many think his most beautiful. It is comprised of a "succession of octagonal arcades, pulled out 'like a telescope,' as Pevsner said, and surmounted by a vestigial steeple" (Jones and Woodward 270).


Work Cited: Edward Jones and Christopher Woodward. A Guide to the Architecture of London. London: Seven Dials , 2000.

See Index for additional works by Wren.

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© 2004 Mary Ann Sullivan. I have photographed (on site), scanned, and manipulated all the images on these pages. Please feel free to use them for personal or educational purposes. They are not available for commercial purposes.

Page created by Mary Ann Sullivan