- St Dunstan-in-the-East
Infobox church
name = St Dunstan-in-the-East
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denomination =Roman Catholic ,Anglican
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address =London
country =United Kingdom
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website =St Dunstan-in-the-East was an
Anglican church located on St Dunstan's Hill, half way betweenLondon Bridge and theTower of London in theCity of London . The church was destroyed in theSecond World War ["The Visitors Guide to the City of London Churches" Tucker,T: London, Friends of the City Churches, 2006 ISBN 0955394503] and the medieval ruins are now a popular public garden.History
The church was built about 1100. It was severely damaged in the
Great Fire of London in 1666. Rather than being completely rebuilt, the damaged church was patched up between 1668 and 1671. A steeple, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, was added 30 years later. This was unusual in that Wren designed it in the gothic style, to match the old church.By the early 19th century the church was in a very poor state. It was rebuilt between 1817 and 1821 by David Laing [ "London:the City Churches” Pevsner,N/Bradley,S New Haven, Yale, 1998 ISBN 0300096550] , with assistance by
William Tite . Wren's steeple was retained in the new building.The church was severely damaged in
the Blitz of 1941, during the Second World War. In the re-organisation of the Anglican Church in London following the War it was decided not to rebuild St Dunstan's.In 1967 the
City of London Corporation decided to turn the ruins of the church into a public garden [ "The City of London Churches" Betjeman,J Andover, Pikin, 1967 ISBN 0853721122] . This was opened in 1971.Wren's tower and steeple survived the bombs intact and now house the offices of a small health clinic. Of the rest of the church only the north and south walls remain. A lawn and trees have been planted within the ruins and a low fountain sits in the middle of the
nave . The gardens are claimed to be the most beautiful public gardens in theCity of London .The church is now comprised within the parish of
All Hallows by the Tower and occasional open-air services are held in the church, such as onPalm Sunday prior to a procession toAll Hallows by the Tower along St Dunstan's Hill and Great Tower Street.ee also
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Anglicanism
*List of churches and cathedrals of London References
* Mentioned several times in Sara Douglass' "The Troy Game" Series: "Darkwitch Rising" (Book Three); one scene in Sarah Waters' 'The Night Watch' (2006) takes place there.
External links
* [http://www.allhallowsbythetower.org.uk/st_dunstan's_in_the_east.htm Information on St Dunstan]
* [http://www.oldlondonmaps.com/viewspages/0040.html An engraving showing the medieval church and Sir Christopher Wren's spire.]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/sevenwonders/london/city_gardens/ BBC "Hidden gardens of the City" Facts]
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