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St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe 

St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
Exterior photo of St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
Exterior photo of St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe
Information
Denomination Anglican, Syrian Orthodox Church, earlier Roman Catholic
Location
Country United Kingdom

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St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe Interior
St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe Interior
Service board showing church name
Service board showing church name

St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe[1] is a Church of England church located on Queen Victoria Street, London in the City of London, near Blackfriars station.

First mentioned around 1170[2], the church was almost certainly founded considerably earlier; during the 13th century the church was a part of Baynard's Castle, an ancient royal residence. In 1361, Edward III moved his Royal Wardrobe (a storehouse for Royal accoutrements, housing arms and clothing among other personal items of the Crown) from the Tower of London to just north of the church. It was from this association that the church acquired its unique name. The Wardrobe and the church, however, were both lost in the Great Fire of London in 1666[3].. Of the 51 churches designed by Sir Christopher Wren after the Fire, St. Andrew-by-the-Wardrobe is among the simplest of his designs, rebuilt in 1695 but again destroyed by German bombing in the Second World War, with only the tower and walls surviving. It was re-dedicated in 1961.

St. Andrew's is situated on a terrace overlooking the street, its plain red brick exterior contrasting with the stone buildings on each side. The interior is aisled, with arcaded bays supported by piers rather than the usual columns[4]. The original interior fittings were mostly destroyed during the war, and many of the church's features come from other destroyed London churches - for instance, the weathervane on the tower comes from St Michael Bassishaw (demolished 1900).

St. Andrew's can boast of one of its former parishioners, William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was a member of this parish for about 15 years while he was working at the Blackfriars Theatre nearby and later he bought a house within the parish in Ireland Yard. In his honour, a memorial was erected in the church[5].

This church has been alive and had by regular weekly Sunday services conducted by the Syrian Orthodox church (founded by St Thomas the Apostle in India) for the last 30 years.

Notes

  1. ^ Prior to the King's wardrobe moving to the adjacent area it was known as St Andrew by Castle Baynard- "The Churches of the City of London" Reynolds H.: London, Bodley Head, 1922
  2. ^ "London:the City Churches Pevsner,N/Bradley,S : New Haven, Yale, 1998 ISBN 0300096550
  3. ^ "The Old Churches of London" Cobb,G: London, Batsford, 1942
  4. ^ "The City of London Churches" Betjeman,J Andover, Pikin, 1967 ISBN 0853721122
  5. ^ The Visitors Guide to the City of London Churches" Tucker,T: London, Friends of the City Churches, 2006 ISBN 0955394503

External links

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