St Lawrence Jewry

Described by Sir John Betjeman as "Very municipal, very splendid" [ "The City of London Churches" Betjeman,J Andover, Pikin, 1967 ISBN 0853721122] ,St Lawrence Jewry is a Church of England church in The City, London. It was originally built in the 12th century and dedicated to St Lawrence (the instrument of whose martydom, the gridiron, can still be seen on the present church's weathervane [ "London:the City Churches” Pevsner,N/Bradley,S New Haven, Yale, 1998 ISBN 0300096550] ), in the Jewish area of the city, which centred on Old Jewry nearby ["The Visitors Guide to the City of London Churches" Tucker,T: London, Friends of the City Churches, 2006 ISBN 0955394503] . It was burnt down in the Great Fire of London [Mentioned in Pepys Diary "Samuel Pepys-The Shorter Pepys" Latham,R(Ed) p484: Harmondsworth,1985 ISBN 0140094180] and built from scratch by Christopher Wren between 1670 and 1687. It suffered extensive damage during the Blitz on 29 December 1940 ["The Old Churches of London" Cobb,G: London,Batsford,1942] -, although this also destroyed buildings around it giving a wider view of the church. It was restored in 1957, and is no longer a parish church but a 'guild church' or 'corporation church' (ie the official church of the City of London Corporation).

It is located at EC2V 5AA, on Gresham Street, next to the London Guildhall.

Notes

* [http://www.london-city-churches.org.uk/Churches/St%20Lawrence%20Jewry.htm London City Churches]
* [http://www.london-city-churches.org.uk/Church_Pictures/St_Lawrence_Jewery.jpgLarge photo]
* [http://www.davidsanger.co.uk/stlawrencejewry.htm Recitals]