St Alphage London Wall
Encyclopedia
St Alphage London Wall, so called because it sat right on London Wall
, the City of London
boundary, was a church in Bassishaw Ward
in the City of London
. It is sometimes referred to as St Alphege
, using an alternative spelling of the Saint's name, or as St Alphage Cripplegate, because of its proximity to Cripplegate
.
The churchyard to the north of the London Wall was still open in 1677, but was subsequently built over. The last building on the site, using the London wall as its southern boundary, was destroyed by bombing in the Second World War. This exposed the Roman city wall that the medieval wall had been built on. When a new Salters' Hall was built on the site (opened in 1976),, the area north of the London Wall was made into a garden for the Hall.
.
After the closure of the original Church of St Alphage, the Priory Church became the new Parish Church. The rest of the Spital site was sold to Sir John Williams, who built a private house in its grounds, which was destroyed by fired in 1541. The property was subsequently sold on, and used for the foundation of Sion College
in 1630. The church was repaired in 1624, and the upper part of the steeple rebuilt in 1649. It was damaged but not destroyed in the Great Fire
of 1666..
Further repairs were made in 1684, and 1701. In 1711 the parishioners applied to the commissioners for building fifty new churches for funds to enlarge the building, and in 1718 petitioned parliament for funds, neither initiative proving successful. By 1747, the steeple was in such a state that the bells could not be rung, and four of the six were sold.
The rebuilt church had two fronts, the eastern one in Aldermanbury, and the other facing London Wall. George Godwin
described them as “both equally remarkable for want of taste in the arrangement, and of beauty in the effect”. The east front had a Venetian window between two pilasters, elevated on a basement; this arrangement was flanked by two doorways. The door and window surrounds and pilasters were stone, the rest brick. The façade to London Wall had two Doric columns, flattened against the wall, supporting an entablature and pediment. Between the columns was a doorway, its lobby leading into the medieval tower. The interior of the body of the church was described by Godwin as “merely a plain room with a flat ceiling, crossed from north to south by one large band at the east end”. There were galleries on north and south sides.; the pulpit was, unconventionally, placed against the west wall.
By 1900, the tower and porch were again in a poor state, and a new porch was built in 1914.
The church was damaged in an air raid in the First World War. In 1917 the Parish was amalgamated with that of St Mary Aldermanbury
. The church was rebuilt in 1919, but was scheduled for demolition in the same year.. The bells went to St Peter’s Acton. Demolition was carried out in 1923, leaving only the tower and porch.
The remains of the church were designated a Grade II listed structure on 4 January 1950. The tower and porch were still standing in 1959. They were demolished by 1962, to make way for the new alignment of the road London Wall. All that remains are the surviving parts of the fourteenth century priory. These consist of the ruin of a central tower, built of flint and rubble masonry, with arches on three sides and the south wall missing.
It is sometimes assumed that the ruined tower and the gardens were originally part of the same building. This is not the case.
For illustrations of the church in its various phases, see http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk/collage/app?service=external/SearchResults&sp=Zst+Alphage
In 1954 the amalgamated parish was united with St Giles-without-Cripplegate
.
London Wall
London Wall was the defensive wall first built by the Romans around Londinium, their strategically important port town on the River Thames in what is now the United Kingdom, and subsequently maintained until the 18th century. It is now the name of a road in the City of London running along part of...
, the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
boundary, was a church in Bassishaw Ward
Bassishaw
Bassishaw is a ward in the City of London. This small ward is bounded on the east by Coleman Street ward, to the south by Cheap ward, to the north by Cripplegate ward, and on the west by Aldersgate ward...
in the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
. It is sometimes referred to as St Alphege
Alphege
Ælfheah , officially remembered by the name Alphege within some churches, and also called Elphege, Alfege, or Godwine, was an Anglo-Saxon Bishop of Winchester, later Archbishop of Canterbury. He became an anchorite before being elected abbot of Bath Abbey...
, using an alternative spelling of the Saint's name, or as St Alphage Cripplegate, because of its proximity to Cripplegate
Cripplegate
Cripplegate was a city gate in the London Wall and a name for the region of the City of London outside the gate. The area was almost entirely destroyed by bombing in World War II and today is the site of the Barbican Estate and Barbican Centre...
.
History
The parish of St Alphage used two churches successively, moving from its original building to a former priory church nearby after the dissolution of the monasteries.Original site
The first church was built adjoining the London Wall, with the wall forming its northern side. The churchyard lay to the north of the wall. The earliest mention of this church dates to c. 1108-25, though it is said that it was established before 1068.. The church was closed by Act of Parliament at the end of the sixteenth century and demolished.. The London Wall was left standing. The site of the church became a carpenter's yard. In 1837 it was laid out as a public garden, which remains today, with a preserved section of the London Wall on its north edge. After the realignment of the road London Wall, that section formerly running past the site of this church was renamed St Alphage Gardens.The churchyard to the north of the London Wall was still open in 1677, but was subsequently built over. The last building on the site, using the London wall as its southern boundary, was destroyed by bombing in the Second World War. This exposed the Roman city wall that the medieval wall had been built on. When a new Salters' Hall was built on the site (opened in 1976),, the area north of the London Wall was made into a garden for the Hall.
Priory church
The second church began as the Priory Church the (probably Benedictine) nunnery of St Mary-within-Cripplegate. This was probably founded before 1000, but by 1329 the community had fallen into decay. The land passed into the hands of William Elsing, who founded a hospital on the site, Elsing Spital, in 1331. Originally a secular establishment, it was taken over by Augustinian priors and monks in 1340. The hospital closed in 1536, with the Dissolution of the MonasteriesDissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
.
After the closure of the original Church of St Alphage, the Priory Church became the new Parish Church. The rest of the Spital site was sold to Sir John Williams, who built a private house in its grounds, which was destroyed by fired in 1541. The property was subsequently sold on, and used for the foundation of Sion College
Sion College
Sion College, in London, is an institution founded by Royal Charter in 1630 as a college, guild of parochial clergy and almshouse, under the 1623 will of Thomas White, vicar of St Dunstan's in the West....
in 1630. The church was repaired in 1624, and the upper part of the steeple rebuilt in 1649. It was damaged but not destroyed in the Great Fire
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
of 1666..
Further repairs were made in 1684, and 1701. In 1711 the parishioners applied to the commissioners for building fifty new churches for funds to enlarge the building, and in 1718 petitioned parliament for funds, neither initiative proving successful. By 1747, the steeple was in such a state that the bells could not be rung, and four of the six were sold.
Rebuilding
In 1774 the church was found to be unfit for use, and a committee was set up to arrange its rebuilding. This was done a cost of £1350, retaining the lower walls of the tower. The new church was opened on 24 July 1777.The rebuilt church had two fronts, the eastern one in Aldermanbury, and the other facing London Wall. George Godwin
George Godwin
George Godwin FRS was an influential architect, journalist, and editor of The Builder magazine.He was one of nine children of the architect George Godwin senior and trained at his father's architectural practice in Kensington where he set up in business with his brother Henry Godwin .Encouraged...
described them as “both equally remarkable for want of taste in the arrangement, and of beauty in the effect”. The east front had a Venetian window between two pilasters, elevated on a basement; this arrangement was flanked by two doorways. The door and window surrounds and pilasters were stone, the rest brick. The façade to London Wall had two Doric columns, flattened against the wall, supporting an entablature and pediment. Between the columns was a doorway, its lobby leading into the medieval tower. The interior of the body of the church was described by Godwin as “merely a plain room with a flat ceiling, crossed from north to south by one large band at the east end”. There were galleries on north and south sides.; the pulpit was, unconventionally, placed against the west wall.
By 1900, the tower and porch were again in a poor state, and a new porch was built in 1914.
The church was damaged in an air raid in the First World War. In 1917 the Parish was amalgamated with that of St Mary Aldermanbury
St Mary Aldermanbury
St Mary Aldermanbury church in the City of London, is first mentioned in 1181 but was destroyed by the Great fire of London in 1666. Rebuilt in Portland stone by Sir Christopher Wren, it was again gutted by the Blitz in 1940, leaving only the walls...
. The church was rebuilt in 1919, but was scheduled for demolition in the same year.. The bells went to St Peter’s Acton. Demolition was carried out in 1923, leaving only the tower and porch.
The remains of the church were designated a Grade II listed structure on 4 January 1950. The tower and porch were still standing in 1959. They were demolished by 1962, to make way for the new alignment of the road London Wall. All that remains are the surviving parts of the fourteenth century priory. These consist of the ruin of a central tower, built of flint and rubble masonry, with arches on three sides and the south wall missing.
It is sometimes assumed that the ruined tower and the gardens were originally part of the same building. This is not the case.
For illustrations of the church in its various phases, see http://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk/collage/app?service=external/SearchResults&sp=Zst+Alphage
In 1954 the amalgamated parish was united with St Giles-without-Cripplegate
St Giles-without-Cripplegate
St Giles-without-Cripplegate is a Church of England church in the City of London, located within the modern Barbican complex. When built it stood without the city wall, near the Cripplegate. The church is dedicated to St Giles, patron saint of beggars and cripples...
.