Building    From 1225  To /12/1940

Christchurch - Greyfriars Church

Categories: Religion

An information board at the site reads: "Christchurch Greyfriars churchyard covers the site of the church of the Franciscan monastery which stood here from about 1228. The original church was demolished in 1306 and a new one built in 1325. This stood until it was demolished by the Great Fire of London in 1666. the church was rebuilt by Sir Christopher Wren between 1687 and 1707 on the site of the quire of the old building. the churchyard became an open space in 1872, and the church remained until it was gutted by bombs in December 1940."

London Garden Trust says: " This lovely garden is located on the site of the Franciscan Church of Greyfriars, which was established in 1225. Numerous well-known people, including four queens, were buried in the old church, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666. A new church, designed by Wren, was completed in 1704. In 1940, incendiary bombs destroyed the body of the Wren church, and only the west tower now stands. The 1989 rose garden reflects the floor plan of the original church with box-edged beds representing the original position of the pews. An avenue of trees marks the former nave."

Greyfriars Church was not destroyed in the Reformation, only closed. It was reopened in 1547 as Christ Church and continued in use as a parish church until the Great Fire in 1666.

The Citizens' Memorial is a campaign to partially rebuild this church and transform it into a memorial of national significance to commemorate the heroism and sacrifice of the citizens of London during the Second World War.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Christchurch - Greyfriars Church

Commemorated ati

Charles Lamb - Giltspur Street

Ornamental Passions have a good post on this memorial, saying that Lamb is sh...

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Christchurch - Greyfriars Church

Christchurch - Greyfriars This Wren church was destroyed by fire-bombs in De...

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Christchurch Greyfriars Church

This plaque is on the low wall you can see close to the road.

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Other Subjects

Laurence Pountney Church & Corpus Christi College

Laurence Pountney Church & Corpus Christi College

Sir John Poultney or de Pulteney was in the Drapers' Company, Lord Mayor 3 times in the period 1330-6, and had his house on the west of what is now Laurence Pountney Hill.  He founded Corpus Christ...

Building, Religion

1 memorial
Cosmo Gordon Lang Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Lang

Cosmo Gordon Lang Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Lang

Born in the Fyvie Manse, Aberdeen.  Archbishop of Canterbury, 1928-1942, during which he played a key role in the 1936 crisis surrounding the abdication of King Edward VIII, going on to crown Georg...

Person, Religion, Scotland

1 memorial
St Olave Hart Street - church

St Olave Hart Street - church

Survived the Great Fire but was so badly damaged in WW2 that for the period 1948 - 54 the congregation used a temporary church in Mark Street. Samuel Pepys and his wife Elizabeth are buried here a...

Building, Religion

3 memorials
Reverend James Palmer

Reverend James Palmer

In 1656 he founded almshouses in Palmer’s Passage for six poor old men and six poor old women together with a school for the education of twenty boys. Old maps show these almshouses running most of...

Person, Religion, Social Welfare

2 memorials
Revd. C. B. Rickard
War dead, WW2
1 memorial

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Guy's Hospital

Guy's Hospital

Founded by Thomas Guy in concept in 1721 but it was not until 6 January 1725 that the first sixty patients were admitted.  Aim 25 have a good summary of the history.  Guy's and St Thomas' are consi...

Place, Medicine

13 memorials