St Magnus the Martyr

One of the most beautiful churches in the City. A gem for anyone to visit.

A Wren church in the heart of the City.
Beautiful space for concerts or worship.

Located under the gaze of the nearby Monument, St Magnus is lucky to be there at all: it survived a major fire on London Bridge in 1640, only to succumb as the second church burned in the Great Fire of 1666.
Rebuilt by Wren, yet another fire in 1760 burned the roof. An air raid in 1940 saw yet further damage, and recent restoration was undertaken after yet another fire in the 1980’s. But much of Wren’s interior survives and, although much altered, it is a beautiful composition of classical architecture.
It is regarded by some as the finest interior in the City. Beautiful dark wood carving contrasts with whitewashed walls and extensive gilding, set off by some delicate wrought ironwork, colourful glass and a wide range of 18^th century (and later Anglo-​catholic) furnishings. The services here are equally fine compositions of incense and high-​church ritual.
Just inside the nave on the left is a fine model of the Old London Bridge (good for kids). Just a pity they can’t divert the thundering traffic away from adjacent Thames Street.
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Photographs added 1^st July 2007