St Anne and St Agnes

Infobox church
name = St. Anne & St. Agnes Church
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caption = Exterior photo of St. Ann & St. Agnes Church
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denomination = Anglican, Lutheran, earlier Roman Catholic
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architect = Christopher Wren
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constructed_date = rebuilt 1680
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address = City of London
country = United Kingdom
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St Anne and St Agnes is a church located at Gresham Street in the City of London, near the Barbican. While St Anne's is an Anglican foundation, it has been let for the last 40 years to a congregation of the Lutheran Church in Great Britain.

History

The first church on the site appears to have been built in Norman times, under the name of "St Anne-in-the-Willows" in the 13th century. Its double dedication, unique in the City, seems to have been acquired some time in the 15th century [Cobb,G The Old Churches of London: London, Batsford,1942] . The building's 14th century tower was its only section to survive the Great Fire of London in 1666 (and then only partially).

St Anne and St Agnes was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren in 1680 ["The Visitors Guide to the City of London Churches" Tucker,T: London, Friends of the City Churches, 2006 ISBN 0955394503] , with possible contributions from Robert Hooke ["London:the City Churches" Pevsner,N/Bradley,S : New Haven, Yale, 1998 ISBN 0300096550] . The small brick church is of an unusual design in London, being based on that of a Greek cross [The City of London Churches Betjeman,J Andover, Pikin, 1967 ISBN 0853721122] ; it utilises a vaulted square within a square, a formula based on the Nieuwe Kerk in Haarlem in the Netherlands. Wren also used a similar design at St Martin Ludgate and St Mary-at-Hill.

The church was extensively restored in the 18th and 19th centuries, but was largely destroyed by Second World War bombing. It was rededicated in 1968. The reconstructed interior is a mixture of replicas of the prewar fittings and original or copied fittings from other London churches, some of which had also been destroyed in the war but were not reconstructed.

ee also

* List of churches and cathedrals of London

References

External links

* [http://www.stanneslutheranchurch.org/ Official St Anne's Lutheran Church website]
* [http://www.shipoffools.com/Mystery/mws_05/reports/1012.html Mystery Worshipper Report] at the Ship of Fools website
* [http://lutheran.org.uk/ The Lutheran Council of Great Britain]