St Dionis Backchurch

St Dionis Backchurch
St Dionis Backchurch

Current photo of site

Country United Kingdom
Denomination Anglican

St Dionis Backchurch was a parish church in the Langbourn ward of the City of London.

Contents

History

The church of St Dionis was dedicated to Dionysus the Areopagite, a follower of St Paul, said to have converted the French to Christianity. He became the patron saint of France, where he is known as St Denis. The name Backchurch may have come from it standing behind other buildings, or from its position relative to the church of St Gabriel. It was in existence by the year 1288. In 1466 the Alderman John Darby had an aisle added, in which he was buried. The church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and rebuilt to the designs of Christopher Wren in 1674 at a cost of £5737.[1] A tower was added ten years later.

Wren’s church was 66 feet long and 36 feet wide. It had an aisled nave, the arcades formed by Ionic columns supporting an entablature. The ceiling was arched, and pierced with circular windows under groin vaulted openings. There was a west gallery with an organ.

The bell tower was divided into three storeys by string courses. At the top was an open parapet, and a small bell turret which had been removed by the nineteenth century. [2] The church was built mostly of stone, with some brick which was later stuccoed. [3] The east end of the church, in Lime Street had a pediment and two pairs of coupled Ionic pilasters with a large window and carved festoons above. [2]

In 1858, the vestry asked the architect George Edmund Street to examine the fabric of the church. He found that the church was in need of substantial repairs and recommended that the most economical course of action would be to demolish the whole church except for the tower, and rebuild it to a gothic design of his own. Before the plans could be carried out however, the vestry decided that the church was no longer needed. In 1878 the parish was merged with that of All Hallows Lombard Street under the Union of Benefices Act of 1860 and the church demolished.

While surveying the church, Street discovered that a fifteenth century crypt had survived under the chancel of Wren’s church.[4]

The church had a peal of ten bells, cast between 1726 and 1750. They were transferred to All Hallows Lombard Street when St Dionis was demolished.

A parish mark can be seen in Philpot Lane. The church of St Dionis, Parsons Green was built with the proceeds of the sale of the site of the City church, and its font and pulpit survive there.[5][6]

The modern reincarnation in Parsons Green

The burials were re-inhumed at the City of London Cemetery.

See also

  • List of Christopher Wren churches in London
  • List of churches rebuilt after the Great Fire but since demolished

References

  1. ^ Jeffrey, W (1824). London Parishes. 
  2. ^ a b Godwin, George (1839). Churches of London. London. 
  3. ^ Elmes, James. Topographical Dictionary of London, p.164
  4. ^ "St. Dionis Backchurch". The Civil Engineer and Architect’s Journal 21: 383. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=lMNAAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover. Retrieved 23 June 2011. 
  5. ^ Christopher Howse. "Wren's tall tower in Twickenham". The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/christopherhowse/7944922/Wrens-tall-tower-in-Twickenham.html. Retrieved 19 May 2011. 
  6. ^ Modern church web site

External links

Coordinates: 51°30′43″N 0°5′2″W / 51.51194°N 0.08389°W / 51.51194; -0.08389


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • (St.) Dionis Backchurch —    At the south west corner of Lime Street, and on the north side of Fenchurch Street. In Billingsgate Ward (O.S. 1880).    The parish extends also into Lime Street and Langbourn Wards.    Earliest mention found in records : St. Dionis in Lime… …   Dictionary of London

  • Nathaniel Hardy — (1618–1670) was an English churchman, Dean of Rochester from 1660. Contents 1 Life 2 Works 3 External links 4 References Life He wa …   Wikipedia

  • William Vaughan (philanthropist) — William Vaughan (died c. May 1580) was an English landowner, farmer and philanthropist who lived in the mid 16th century in the Dartford and Erith area of north west Kent. [He describes himself in his will as I Willyam Vaughan of Erythe in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Edward Dering — Sir Edward Dering (1598 1644), antiquary and politician.Ancestry and ChildhoodDering was the eldest son of Sir Anthony Dering of Surrenden Dering in Pluckley, Kent (d.1636). His mother, Sir Anthony s second wife, was Frances, daughter of Chief… …   Wikipedia

  • Edward Wright (mathematician) — For the 20th century mathematician, see Edward Maitland Wright. Edward Wright Title page of the first edition of Wright s Certaine Errors in Navigation (1599) …   Wikipedia

  • City of London Cemetery and Crematorium — The Main Gate and Sign The City of London Cemetery and Crematorium is a cemetery and crematorium in the north east of London. It is the largest such municipal facility in the UK and probably in Europe[1] . It is owned and operated by the …   Wikipedia

  • Somner — This interesting surname with variant spellings Sumpner, Somner, Sumner, Simner, Simnor, etc., is an occupational name for an official who was responsible for ensuring the appearance of witnesses in court, deriving from the Middle English sumner …   Surnames reference

  • Fenchurch Street — is a road in the City of London. It links Aldgate at its eastern end with Lombard Street and Gracechurch Street to the west. To the south of Fenchurch Street and towards its eastern end is Fenchurch Street railway station. The entire length of… …   Wikipedia

  • 1616 — Year 1616 (MDCXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 10 day slower Julian calendar). Events of 1616 January June * January The Dutch try to… …   Wikipedia

  • Charles Burney — For other people named Charles Burney, see Charles Burney (disambiguation). Charles Burney by Sir Joshua Reynolds in 1781 Charles Burney FRS (7 April 1726 – 12 April 1814) was an English music historian and father of authors Frances Burney and… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”